Ice Dragoness
by Bugg18
Summary: Rewrite of Icelynn Lace: Ice Fire Dragon Slayer. Icelynn is the heart sister of Lucy Heartfilia, and the two put life of high society behind them to join the coolest guild in Fiore: Fairy Tail. This is Icelynn's story as the Ice Dragon slayer of Fairy Tail. And why is it that she feels drawn to the Lightning Dragon Slayer who may know more about her past then the two may realize?
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone, long time no see. I know that you guys are wondering why I took down the original Icelynn Lace: Ice Fire Dragon Slayer FanFiction and threw this new chapter and story at you. Well, the reason for that is because I began to feel like it was wrong of me to put Gajeel in a pairing with anyone _but _Levy.

When I first began writing this, I didn't get far enough into the series yet to discover how well Gajeel and Levy fit together. They are cute as hell together, and I didn't want to separate them because they remind me of how my husband and I are together.

So, I put my brain cells together, and decided to place Icelynn with my only other piece of eye candy in the Fairy Tail franchise. Laxus Dreyer: my favorite character. The reason he is my favorite is because his relationship with Makarov reminds me so much of the one I had with my own grandfather when he was still alive.

I know that some people pair him up with Mirajane, but I just didn't see very many interactions between the two of them in the anime. I don't know if that will change, and frankly, I don't really care if it does, I will not be changing the pairing again.

That being said, I hope you guys enjoy the re-write!

Thanks for reading,

Bugg18.

XXX

Chapter 1 - Free from the Gilded Cage

Looking out across the open valley the Heartfilia estate sat upon, I couldn't help but feel immense relief. Glancing to the side at my heart's sister, Lucy Heartfilia, I could see that she felt the same way just beneath the sorrow.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this." I heard Lucy mummer, as she gave the place she was born and raised one last lingering look of sadness. "I know that my dad only wanted the best for us, but to go as far as forcing us to marry two people we barely even know just to expand the family business is just way too much."

Reaching over, I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know what you mean. I'll forever be grateful to Jude for taking me in and making me your sister, but I can't just sit back and watch him practically sell us to the highest bidder." I agreed, as I faced the Heartfilia estate once more. "Besides, didn't you tell me that your mom wanted you to be happy and to follow your own path?" I asked her, as I drew my hand back to my side.

"Yeah, she did." Lucy answered, as she turned to face the road that would take us to the train station. "Which is why I need to do this. The air in that house became toxic a long time ago. If I don't leave now, I'll end up just like him. But you don't have to come along with me if you don't want to, Icelynn. With your magic, you could make a whole new life for yourself as a wizard."

Scoffing at the very idea of leaving the one person who didn't abandon me to the darkness that had infected my heart four years ago, I turned to face the same direction as Lucy.

"And let you get into all sorts of trouble without me? No chance even _if_ hell froze over. Sure, being a dragon slayer, I'd be able to make a fortune of my own slaying other monsters and such, but I don't want to leave my adorable little sister behind." I told her, giving her a tiny smirk, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Speaking of which, I know it'll be a while before we do, but have you decided what guild you want to join yet? Last we spoke about it; you were torn between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail."

"I'm still thinking about it. Phantom Lord is a pretty strong guild, but then again so is Fairy Tail." Lucy said, as she took the first step into her new life.

"Well, I'm sure we'll hear something to help us decide along the way." I agreed, as I took my own first step yet into another new life.

It was with the stars watching over us that we put the forced life of high society behind us. For you see, this world lives and breathes magic, and we were but two simple wizards who wanted to learn all we could about this world of ours. A world we are now free to see, now that we've finally flown our gilded cage…

Xxx

One Year Later… Outside Hargeon…

_Dear Storm,_

_ It's been a whole year since Lucy, and I fled the Heartfilia estate. So far, neither of us have had a reason to regret our decision to put that place, and Jude's overbearing behavior behind us. For the first few weeks, things had been tense with how we moved about the day, and where we slept at night. However, no matter how many days or weeks passed, we still saw nor heard any sign of Jude trying to drag us back home. _

_ Although she didn't show it, I know that Lucy was bothered by this fact. Not that I can really blame her for feeling this way. It's kind of how I felt after I awoke one day to find you gone. Still, I'm sure that Lucy will make her peace with it in time, just like I learned to do a couple of years ago. Don't get me wrong though, soon as I get to see your scaly hide, I'm going to have a few __words__ with you; but I'll just mostly be happy to see you again, and that you're safe and well when I do._

_ As for the present, Lucy and I are currently on our way to Hargeon. We are still doing freelance work until we can figure out what guild we're going to join. Seeing as Jude has yet to try and look for us, Lucy and I have agreed that there is no reason why we can't go ahead and join a guild of our choosing. And from the way Lucy's been gushing over the sorcerer Weekly magazines, I think I have a pretty good feeling as to which one we'll be looking to sign up with. _

_ And there is the blasted train whistle… _

_ I'll write to you again soon, Storm. Who knows, maybe we'll have managed to sign up with that guild we want._

_With love,_

_Icelynn._

Popping my pen back into my bag, I then quickly folded up the letter, and slid it between two books that I was also carrying in my bag before tying it shut. Once it was secure, I then stood up to shake the sleeping blonde who sat across from me.

Mumbling a few incoherent words, I eventually got Lucy to sit up with a stretch and a yawn.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Almost. Should be stopping in the next few minutes now." I answered her, as I began getting the rest of my things together. Lucy doing the same now that she was awake. Sure enough, just as we finished getting our bags ready, I could feel the train beginning to lose its momentum.

To be honest, this felt both strange and familiar to me. Familiar because this was how Lucy and I used to travel all the time back when Jude would take us with him to events and parties being held by his business associates. Yet, strange because after the night Lucy and I initially ran off, we began avoiding the trains in fear of Jude finding out about it. We only started actively using the train a few months ago when we learned that Jude had yet to do anything to bring us home.

Still, I try my best to remain alert when we are using the trains. Having lived on the Heartfilia's estate for the last four years, I know the scent of every guard and servant. If, and when Jude ever decides to bring us back for a change, I'll be one of the first to know about it.

Once the train had fully stopped, Lucy and I made sure to keep our heads down as we hurried off the train. As we moved, Lucy remained silent while I kept my ears open. Thankfully, it only took us a few minutes to get off the train and out of the train station without incident. Once we were free, Lucy let out a deep breath.

"Oh man, I hate being in tense situations like that!" Lucy complained, as she stretched once more.

"Tell me about it, but it's necessary. Your dad hasn't really done anything to find us, but that doesn't mean he won't try his best to spy on us. If we relax our guard fully and become too careless, then the next time we ride the train, we'll be on our way back to the estate." I agreed, as we made our way down the main street of the harbor city.

Looking about, I couldn't help but admire the structure of the town itself. It was all beautifully crafted, and let's not forget the spectacular view they had of the sea. I had to remind myself not to get too attached to the scenery though. Lucy and I had come to this town to find some form of work. As it was, we only had a good few thousand jewels left before the two of us became flat broke.

Thankfully, the town hall of just about every town has a community board where traveling mages who haven't joined a guild yet can get work. They don't pay as well as a job from a legal guild would, but it was something for us to support ourselves with for now at least.

As Lucy and I continued to walk through the streets of Hargeon, I kept an eye out for the town hall, while Lucy kept her eyes peeled for any magic shops. It was our standard arrangement for whenever we were out and about in whatever town we were staying. With Lucy being a celestial wizard, she's always on the look out for more keys she can get ahold of. Back before we left the Heartfilia estate, Lucy had only been contracted to two gold celestial gate keys: Aquarius the water bearer, and Cancer the crab. Lucy had inherited them from her mother, and practically had to steal them from Jude's study in order to begin training as a wizard.

After we left the estate, we then found up to another five keys in our travels. One of which was another gold key: Taurus the golden bull.

These three were a part of the legendary twelve Zodiac keys. Some of the most powerful to exist. Other than those, Lucy had at least four silver keys that I know of. Horologium the clock, Pyxis the compass, Lyra the harp, and Crux the southern cross.

"Ha! I found one!" I heard Lucy shout excitedly as I was brought back from my wandering thoughts. Glancing over, I spied the shop that had caught my sister's eye. The Green something or another magic shop from the looks of it.

Not really taking an interest in the run-down shop itself, I looked over at Lucy who looked eager to go in and see what they had. Shaking my head at her antics, I couldn't help but smile a little at her enthusiasm.

"I'll tell you what, you go and see what sort of gate keys they have, and I'll keep looking for city hall and a decent inn for us to sleep tonight." I offered, as Lucy threw a concerned look my way.

"Okay, I guess. Seeing as this place doubles as a small grocery store, I'll try and pick up a few things. We only have enough food for tonight and tomorrow at least." Lucy agreed, as I nodded my head once.

"Sounds good. I'll find us a room first, then I'll meet you at city hall." I said, as Lucy nodded her head once at me in return. With our new plan set into motion, we waved at each other as we went our separate ways.

Once I was alone, I kept my ears and nose trained to my surroundings as I looked for what would look like a suitable inn. It took me about fifteen minutes, but I was finally able to rent us a room at an inn overlooking the harbor at a decent price. With the room key tucked safely into my right ass pocket, I then began making my way to city hall. As I walked, I couldn't help but wonder if Lucy had managed to find any new keys at that magic shop she found earlier, or from another one perhaps.

It took me about another twenty minutes before I spotted the yellow brick building that made up the city hall. Unfortunately, I didn't have such luck with finding the door. Then again, there's what appears to be a huge group of _fangirls_ blocking it from view.

"_SALAMANDER!"_

_ "__**SALAMANDER!**_"

_What the fuck is going on here?_ I couldn't help but wonder, as I began to make my way around the group of girls to see if I would be able to slip inside the city hall. As stated before, I didn't have such luck, although this time it's because the crowd is right up against the doors to the building itself and all that lies within.

At this point, I began to feel rather irritated. Honestly, don't these idiots have something better to do than standing in front of a government building screaming a guy's name?

_Who the hell is this _salamander_ guy anyway? _I thought, as I looked through the crowd of annoying girls hyped up on hormones for the guy they were swarming around. _Bastard is probably a fire wizard from one of the more popular guilds. It's the only reason this shit would be happening in the first pla-_ I thought, as a different smell reached my senses.

It was musky, and thick in the air. Like someone dumped a lot of pheromones in a bath tub and bathed in it. The smell alone made me want to sneeze and gag as it continued to invade my senses. At that thought, I felt myself freeze up as the sense of someone looking at me reached my mind. Looking up, I found myself locking gazes with the guy the girls were crowded around.

Tanned skin, purple hair, brown eyes, and an _x_ mark over his right eye brow. Not to mention the arrogant smirk he was trying so poorly to pull off as he looked at me expectantly. Seeing that look, I felt my whole body tense up as that musky smell became worse. The moment it did though, I knew what this jack ass's game was. The smell was an effect from one of the two rings this _Salamander_ guy wore on his right hand. An illegal love charm spell.

Believing my tensing up to be his charm taking effect, he turned around to look at someone else. Feeling a low growl building in my chest, I made up my mind to put an end to this guy's games, but before I could so much as take a step, I couldn't help but notice how blonde the girl Salamander had turned from me to look at was. Once I did though, it was too late for me to call out her name in warning, seeing as she was already making her way over to the creep with a love sick expression on her face.

_Lucy!? Oh, hell no! You are _**NOT** _getting your filthy paws anywhere near my baby sister!_ I thought angrily, as I changed directions to try and intercept Lucy before she could reach him. However, with how close she was to the guy when he hit her with his charm spell, I was going to arrive too late.

Just as I was about to consider barreling my way through the rest of the girls already deeply under the effects of the charm, I spotted another guy with salmon pink hair gently push his way into the inner circle of the group of fangirls.

"Igneel, it's me!" I heard him shout as he came into view, with a blue cat walking on its hind legs of all things trailing behind him. Soon as the guy got a good look at Salamander though, the happy expression he had on his face vanished completely. "Who the heck are you?" the guy then asked in a deadpanned voice, causing the other girls to begin growling at him like a pack of rabid dogs.

At this, Salamander paled with shock at the rude question. Ignoring the indigent squawking coming from the purpled haired creeper, I quickly turned to glance over at my sister. Soon as I did, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. Apparently, the salmon haired kid had managed to pop up at the right time to keep Salamander's charm spell from taking full effect on my sister.

Feeling my gaze on her, Lucy turned her now irritated gaze towards me. Giving her a silent, understanding shrug, I then nodded towards the back of the crowd of fan girls. Nodding her head once, we both began making our way out of the death trap the new kid was making for himself. I know that these girls are under a love charm, but you still don't do anything to piss off a mob of fan girls.

Once we were free of them, Lucy let out her second huge sigh of the day.

"Damn, that was too close." She muttered, as she looked over at me. "Did that pervert catch you in that spell too?" Lucy asked me, as I shook my head no.

"I smelled it before he could really cast it on me. Though, I'm glad that pink haired boy came along." I answered her, as I turned to place my back against the wall of a house that sat near the square city hall sits in. Doing the same, Lucy and I watched as the scene before us unfolded. "I would have probably caused a big scene had you reached that bastard."

"Yeah, I have no doubt." Lucy agreed, as we watched the pink haired boy show no interest in who Salamander was, only to end up being dog piled by some of the fan girls for his troubles.

After a few moments of them trying to twist the poor guy in painful angles, Salamander eventually talked the girls into letting him go. With his arrogant attitude blaring full force, he signed his autograph onto a piece of carboard paper thing and tried to hand it over to the pink haired kid. Refusing it, the guy was once again set upon by the rabid group of girls. When they were finally done with him, they simply threw him into some garbage that rested a few feet away from where Lucy and I now stood.

Giving the pink haired boy a look that spoke of how pathetic Salamander thought he was, the arrogant prick then turned back to address the girls.

"Well now… I fear I must be going now, ladies. I have some very important business to attend to for tonight." Salamander said, as the girls all gave shouts of disappointment.

"_**YOUR LEAVING ALREADY!?**_" a bunch of them shouted in unison.

Giving the crowd a wink, Salamander held up two fingers.

"Time for the red carpet." I heard him mutter, as he snapped his fingers, and created a tendril of fire that lifted him up off the ground.

_Okay, this guy is clearly a creeper, and an idiot. That's _hot pink_ not _red_._ I thought irately, as Salamander remained floating up above his fan club.

"I'm having a soiree on my yacht tonight, and you are all invited to it!" the guy yelled down at us, before using his hot pink fire to zoom across the sky and out of sight.

At his departure, all the girls squealed loud enough for me to want to claw my ears off, then scrambled about trying to figure out where they all wanted to go to buy dresses for the party Salamander was planning on throwing. Rolling my eyes at the craziness of the day, I turned to check on the pink haired kid.

"Who the hell was that guy? He certainly wasn't Igneel." I heard him say, as the blue cat walked over to his fallen friend.

"Aye. He sure wasn't." the blue cat said, as I blinked in confusion. I just shrugged it off though. After all, a blue talking cat isn't the most bizarre thing I've seen or heard of before. Then again, being originally raised in the frozen wilderness by a dragon can do that to a girl…

As for Lucy on the other hand, I had to nudge her with my arm.

"You're going to catch flies if you keep your jaw on the ground." I teased her, earning a glare from her. Chuckling at the rise I got out of my sister, I moved to where the pink haired guy and the blue cat were still sitting.

They may not have known it, but they did help Lucy when she got caught in that charm spell, so it was only proper for us to go and thank them.

"I don't know who he is either, but he definitely wasn't up to any good." I said, announcing my and Lucy's presence.

In doing so, I ended up transferring the guy's and cat's confusion from the direction Salamander had gone in to us.

"He's also a good for nothing creep too. Speaking of which, I want to thank you guys for your help." Lucy said, making the two seem even more confused.

"Okay, and who are you two?" the pink haired guy asked.

"Oh, my name is Lucy, and this is my sister Icelynn. We were here to get into city hall when we got caught up in that mess." Lucy explained, as she pointed towards me. Waving at the two in greeting as she did so.

"Oh. Well, hi. I'm Natsu, and this is my little buddy, Happy." The pink haired boy said, introducing himself and the blue cat as well.

"Hello!" the little blue cat said, waving at us as he was introduced.

Now that our introductions were out of the way, I moved forward and held my hand out to the kid we now knew as Natsu. Taking my hand, I then helped him up. As I did though, I caught a whiff of what smelled like a mix of ash and something that seemed familiar to me, almost like some sort of magic. It puzzled me so much for a moment that I nearly missed the small thanks Natsu said to me, as we stepped back from each other.

_That undertone smell, I feel like I should know what it is, but I can't quite put my finger on it. _ I silently pondered, as I observed Natsu and the blue cat Happy.

Oblivious to my inner ramblings, Natsu set about dusting himself off. Happy swatting at his pants, while he took care of what the cat couldn't reach. Once he was done, Natsu gave us one last smile.

"Alright. Well, it was nice to meet you guys, but Happy and I need to get going." Natsu said, as he turned to walk away, Happy on his tail once again. However, before the two could make it more than a few feet, a distinctive rumbling began coming from Natsu's stomach as he collapsed back to his knees.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but look over at Lucy. Which turned out to be a big mistake, seeing as she gave me what I dubbed _the look_. Out of everyone the two of us have ever known, only Lucy could get away with making the puppy dog eyes at me. Sighing lightly, I gave her a small shrug. I had already booked us a room for the night, so we could easily wait until tomorrow to pick up a job from the city hall. Besides, it'll make the both of us feel better if we could repay these two in some way. If that way happens to be feeding them, then so be it.

Giving me a quick one-armed hug, Lucy then went over to Natsu and asked him if he and Happy would be interesting in going to have some lunch with us. The question barely left Lucy's lips before Natsu was back on his fee with stars in his eyes. Chuckling at the display, I shook my head as the two began heading down the street Natsu had been trying to go down.

Following them, we eventually found ourselves in a surf and turf type of restaurant. Before we got there, Lucy told Natsu and Happy to order whatever they wanted.

Which turned out to be another mistake on our part considering that we had barely even got seated before Natsu practically ordered just about everything on the menu. If that didn't shock us, then his eating habits certainly did. At the rate Natsu was shoveling everything down, bits of food were flying all over the place.

Hell, even though he was a cat, Happy at least took the time to chew his food properly!

"Okay… So, your names are Natsu and Happy, right?" Lucy asked, trying to strike up some conversation.

Humming in confirmation, Natsu didn't even slow down in filling his mouth full of food, moving on to the next plate or bowl once the one before him was completely empty.

"You do realize your food can't get up and walk away, right?" I asked him, only to be ignored in favor of some noodles. Raising an eyebrow, I simply turned to glance back at Lucy, silently asking her how this guy hadn't choked to death already.

Sadly, I was ignored by my sister as well, as she tried her best to dodge the flying food herself.

"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you guys again for helping us out back there. That creep was using an illegal love charm to get those ladies to fawn all over him." Lucy began, as her expression turned sour at the mere thought of the guy. "They were banned years ago, so I have no idea where he could have gotten it from."

"Probably from the black market." I said, as Lucy gave me a slightly creeped-out look. Seeing it, I shrugged my shoulders. "What? Just because the magic counsel bans something doesn't mean all mages will stop doing or selling whatever the ban was about." I said darkly, as images flashed through my mind from the two years of hellish existence I had to endure before I was saved, and later brought to the Heartfilia estate.

Pushing those thoughts away, I tried to make myself focus on the present. After all, I wasn't there in that dark cell anymore, I was here with my sister.

Shaking off the discomfort of thinking of such a place, Lucy turned back to our new acquaintances.

"Either way, I'm just glad that I'm not under that creep's spell anymore. Oh, and I really can't thank you guys enough." Lucy continued, as Natsu mumbled out what sounded like a _no problem_ between bites of the fresh tomatoes he had turned to after the noodles. "I know that we may not look like it, but Icelynn and I are wizards too!" Lucy said enthusiastically.

"Is that so?" Natsu replied, not stopping in his mission to eat everything on our table; although a bit slower, thankfully.

"Yeah, although we haven't joined a guild yet. We're definitely thinking about it though." I said, as Lucy nodded in agreement.

"We sure are. Oh, but I guess I should probably explain." Lucy began, as she then went into detail about what a guild was and what they do. I got the feeling that this wasn't exactly necessary to do, but I wasn't sure why that was. While she gushed about guilds, and the one she really wanted to try and join up, I found myself wandering back to the scent I caught off Natsu when we first met barely an hour ago.

As I did, I once again felt like I should _know _why part of it smelled familiar to me somehow. The ashy smell was easy to explain, seeing as it was a usual smell for fire wizards to have from using their magic; yet the undertone part made me believe I was only half right in that department…

I didn't get to stay in my musings for very long though, due to the very distracting hearts I could all but see dancing around Lucy as she gushed about her and everyone's most favored guild.

"If I could just convince them to let us join that guild, I think I might just die!" Lucy said, as I cast a wary glance at my sister. Once she got started, there was almost no stopping her.

Almost as if she sensed our bored expression, Lucy tried her best to snap out of her fan girl episode.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess all of this wizards and guild talk sounds like gibberish to you." Lucy said, waving her craziness off for the moment. "But I'm going to do my best to join that guild someday! I'll go on many different adventures and make a ton of money…"

At the end of her speech, Natsu could only give my sister a _huh_ look, while Happy began to look at her warily as well.

"You sure do talk a lot." He said, as I scoffed in amusement.

"You can definitely say that again. Once she gets started talking about Fairy Tail, she never shuts up." I said, as I became a bit sheepish. "Although, I don't really have much more room to talk, considering how I want to at least check the guild out before we try to sign up with them."

Hearing my words through her gushing, Lucy turned a pout my way.

"Oh, come on Icelynn! Really, against your cute little sister!?" she pouted, as I sent a small smirk her way. Huffing at me when she saw it, Lucy simply crossed her arms before addressing Natsu and Happy again, changing topics.

"Well, enough about us." Lucy began, as she looked up at them. "Didn't you two come to this town looking for someone?" she asked curiously, as I too, felt the same.

"Yeah, we did. His name is Igneel." The little blue cat said, as Natsu took a bite of some pizza he had moved on to.

"We heard a rumor about a salamander passing through Hargeon, but it turned out to be someone else." Natsu said, as he went back to eating the rest of the pizza. While he did that, my brain was trying to restart itself.

_No, they can't mean _that_ one!_ I thought, as I remembered the stories that I was raised hearing. Not only that, but the undertone to Natsu's natural scent finally made sense. I almost wanted to smack my head against the top of the table for forgetting any sort of detail I'd learned from the one who originally spoke of _Igneel_ to me. Shit, now that I think back on it, I should have realized this sooner considering _Igneel_ was the first thing Natsu had said when he tried getting through the mob of girls.

"Yeah. That clown didn't even look like how you described Igneel to me." Happy said, as Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Tch, I bet that poser can't even breathe fire like a real dragon." Natsu commented, as Lucy became confused.

"Wait, do you guys mean that your friend Igneel _looks_ like a dragon?" she asked, as I finally found my voice.

"You're a dragon slayer, aren't you?" I asked, not really giving Natsu a chance to answer my sister's question. At hearing it, Natsu froze in shock at how I was able to tell that. Not that I could blame him, he hasn't used magic in front of us, nor has he just out and said his magic type like Lucy had.

Turning from Natsu, I looked at Lucy who now looked between him and I with even more confusion.

"Lucy, they mean that Igneel _is_ a real dragon." I told her, as her eyes widened in shock as well.

"No way! He's like you then." She muttered, looking at Natsu. Soon as those words left Lucy's mouth though, Natsu snapped out of his shocked state as he slapped his hands down on the table that sat between us, making it rattle around rather worrisome.

"Wait a minute, does that mean you're a dragon slayer too! Then you were taught by a dragon like I was! Right!? If so, then do you know where I can find Igneel!?" he demanded; eyes full of wonder now.

Shrinking back from Natsu's enthusiasm and sudden closeness, I looked to the side sheepishly.

"Y-yeah… I was raised by Storm the Ice Dragon, but he disappeared seven years ago, and I haven't seen him or any other dragon for that matter since." I answered him, as Natsu sat back down in his seat, an air of disappointment on his features now.

After a few minutes, Natsu simply shrugged it off, leaving Lucy and I a little speechless.

"Oh well. Anyhow, if you do manage to find storm, could you ask him about Igneel for me? I've been looking for him for a really long time." Natsu asked. "I'll just have to keep looking. If he's not in this town, then maybe he moved on to the next one or something." Natsu reasoned, as Happy gave an _Aye_ in response

I had to give him credit for his optimism, but there was one thing wrong with this plan he was cooking up.

"Uh sure, if I ever see them, I'll do my best to find a way for you to know but; Natsu, you do realize that a dragon of Storm or Igneel's caliber wouldn't be able to _fit_ in a town like this, right?" I asked him, as shock once again returned to my fellow slayer's face.

"Icelynn's right on that one. I don't think a dragon would fit in any sort of town unless it was a hatchling." Lucy agreed, as she placed enough jewels down on the table to pay for the meal the four of us had eaten. "With that said, I think it's about time for Icelynn and us to get going. We do need to find work first thing tomorrow if we want to hit the road again." She said, as she grabbed her bag and stood up from the booth. "Well, you both enjoy your lunch, and maybe we'll see you two around."

Following suit, I waved bye at Natsu and Happy before following my sister out of the restaurant. We barely even made it to the door though before I felt the urge to look over my shoulder. When I did though, I spotted Natsu and Happy both on their knees, bowing their heads at us in thanks, causing a pretty good spectacle for the other patrons. Sensing that I wasn't following her anymore, Lucy turned around to see the shocked and slightly embarrassed look on my face.

"Ice, what's the matter?" Lucy asked, as she looked around me to see what had my attention, the moment she did though, she began sharing my expression.

"_**THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD!**_" Natsu and Happy said at the same time, while still in their bowing positions.

At this, I couldn't help but snort in amusement at the two, while Lucy began freaking out at them. By the end of the exchange, let's just say that Natsu tried to pawn the _salamander_ autograph on to Lucy in payment for the food we bought him. Apparently, the thank you over lunch ideal was lost on the poor guy. Still, we managed to get away from the two, even though we left with the autograph anyway.

Not that it was a burden for very long, seeing as the first park trash can I came to, I promptly tore it into quarters and tossed them in.

After that, the two of us sat on a park bench to take a load off for a while. Seeing as we couldn't get a job for today, we'll just have to relax and go tomorrow. Soon as she was seated, Lucy pulled the newest edition of Sorcerer Weekly out of her bag and opened it to the first page to see what was new in the guilds of Fiore.

As for myself, I pulled out one of the two books I kept in my own bag. One of them was on the lost art of the slayer magics, and the one I currently held cracked open over my lap was on dragon slaying magic. Seven years ago, not long before he disappeared, Storm gave me this one on dragon slayers. When I first received this, I thought that it was Storm's way of making sure I'd have the information on how hitting puberty could affect a dragon slayer without either of us becoming uncomfortable. However, the day Storm left, I knew that this wasn't exactly the reason.

The real reason behind him giving me this book was to finish teaching me my magic while he flew off who knows where in the big blue yonder.

It had everything there was to know about being a dragon slayer in it. How to concentrate your magic to certain parts of your body for certain spells and attacks, the elements dragon slayers can control and how to consume them, how the five senses are affected, and even how dragon slayers have mates, and how to go about the mating process.

After a while had passed, a sudden giggle from Lucy had me looking up from my book.

"Okay, so what did Fairy Tail do this time?" I asked her, knowing that's what Lucy was giggling about. It was our favorite guild to read about after all.

"According to Sorcerer Weekly, they took out a demon clan a few days ago, but ended up destroying seven homes in the process." She answered, a snicker leaving her, as she turned the page.

"Well, they are known to go over board on occasion." I said, as Lucy awed at one of the pictures. Giving her a curious glance, I then leaned over far enough to place my head on Lucy's shoulder as I peeked at what she was looking at this time.

It just so happened to be the centerfold of Fairy Tail's Mirajane Strauss in a bikini shoot.

"The centerfold is of Mirajane! She's so pretty!" Lucy gushed, as I hummed in agreement. She was nice to look at, even from a girl's perspective. Pushing that thought aside though, I couldn't help but wonder about something.

"Hey Lucy, does your magazine tell people how to apply for a guild?" I asked her, as she shook her head no.

"No, not that I've seen. My only guess is to go to the guild and apply or interview with them." Lucy answered, as she closed the magazine, an excited look on her face. "But hey, Magnolia is only a train ride away from here! I say we go and find out first hand." She suggested.

It was on the tip of my tongue to agree; however, I clamped my mouth shut as an unpleasantly familiar scent reached my nose. Watching as I went from relaxed to tense, Lucy tensed up too, her hand drifting down to rest at the handle of her whip.

"What was that? Did you ladies want to join _Fairy Tail_?" I heard an equally creepy familiar voice ask, as _Salamander_ poked his head from the bushes that sat next to the park bench Lucy and I occupied.

Not expecting it to be the creepy bastard from earlier, Lucy all but fell over from shock. Rolling my eyes at the situation, I felt a low growl of annoyance slip past my lips. Turning my attention back to my book, I spoke to the idiot who should have just gone to his yacht and stayed put.

"I don't care whatever it is you came here to say or do, but we're not interested." I told him simply, as _Salamander_ gave me a hurt look that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Oh, come now… I have been looking all over for the two of you lovely ladies. I only wanted to personally ask you if you would so kindly join me for the party on my yacht tonight." _Salamander_ said, holding up his charm rings again, causing the pheromone scent from earlier to invade my senses again. Too bad for him, the situation with my nose helped me to prevent it again. I also didn't have to worry about Lucy either, seeing as she is now aware of the creep's little trick.

"That charm spell you have won't work on either of us! Its weakness is awareness." Lucy told him, as I scoffed at the idiot's inability to take no for an answer.

"And while we are on the subject, try using it on me or my sister again, and I'll rip off the hand that wears them." I warned, giving the idiot before Lucy and I a side glance.

"Oh my." _Salamander_ began, seemingly ignoring the warning I had given him. "Looks like I was right. I had guessed that the two of you were wizards the moment I laid eyes on you. Not that it matters, my invitation still stands." He said, as Lucy crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"Well you can just forget it. There's no way I'd be caught dead at a party hosted by a creep like you. Only a creepy pervert would use a spell like that to make yourself popular." Lucy huffed at him, as I nodded my head in agreement with my sister.

At Lucy's comment, the mock look of hurt returned to _Salamander's_ eyes.

"Well, that's not a very nice thing to say. After all, I'm only using it in good fun. What's wrong with being popular at your own party?" he said, as he tried to give Lucy and I a wink.

"Now that just goes to show that even famous wizards can be big idiots." Lucy retorted, as I rolled my eyes once more.

Feeling completely done with the situation, I focused on my book once more. However, I kept Lucy in my peripherals though, and an ear on the antics of _Salamander_. I highly doubted that this idiot would try to do anything in public, but you could never be too careful. A gut instinct I ended up being right on when Salamander gave Lucy a thoughtful look, then busted out a question that had her freezing up, and me going on high alert.

"You ladies wanted to join Fairy Tail from what I overheard when I walked over here." He began, as I looked up to give him a warning glare. Lucy on the other hand, looked like she didn't know whether to be excited or horrified. "If you do, then I'm sure you've heard of _Salamander_. One of _Fairy Tail's _wizards..." _Salamander_ trailed off, as my inner bullshit detector began going off.

"Hold on, you're _**THAT**_ salamander?" Lucy asked, as the creepy guy before us simply nodded his head. At this point, I knew that this guy was faking it. He was probably looking for a bunch of girls to try and hook up with or something. Why else would he bring up what he had eavesdropped on us in order to try and sweet talk us into going to his stupid little party.

Well, that shit won't work on me. As for Lucy on the other hand.

Hook…

Line…

And she's already sunk…

"If you two were to come to my party, learn a little more about me and the guild, I could put in a good word for you." _Salamander_ said, as Lucy's excitement went up.

"_WE WOULD LOVE TO GO TO YOUR PARTY TONIGHT!_" Lucy declared, hearts now dancing in her eyes. At this, I couldn't help but give Lucy a dry stare. It's been a while, but it looks like I'll have to sit her down and play the big sister card once the creeper leaves us alone. "So, you really think that you can get us into Fairy Tail? No kidding?" Lucy asked, as _Salamander _nodded his head once.

"I don't see why not." _Salamander_ said, as he then held up one finger. "But you can't say anything about the charm spell, is that clear." He demanded, as Lucy gave him a small salute.

"You got it; we won't say a word!" Lucy said, as _Salamander_ turned away from us with a satisfied smirk.

"Good. Then I'll see you tonight." He said, as he cast the same spell he used earlier to get away from the mob of fan girls.

"Yes, Salamander sir!" Lucy shouted after him, as she placed her hand over her mouth to cover the impish giggle that came over her. "Oh, I'll keep my mouth shut alright. I'll even be nice until he gets us in, then I'll pay him back for being such a sleaze bag!" Lucy declared, as she then turned to face me. Finally noticing the dry look, I now had fixed on her.

Seeing it, Lucy shrank back a bit.

"I'm not going, an neither should you." I simply told her, as Lucy gave me a sad look.

"But Icelynn, if we go, he's gonna help us get into Fairy Tail. How could we not go?" Lucy asked me, as I closed my book and placed it back in my bag.

"Well, one, he was lying about being _Salamander of Fairy Tail_. Besides, even if that poser _was_ a member of Fairy Tail, he sure wouldn't be close enough to the top to get us into the guild." I answered, before giving her a serious look. "And I'll tell you another thing. I'll work my way into a guild and prove my own worth before I let some creep using illegal charm magic introduce me into it."

"Still, how are we going to know if this is so if we don't go? It's the guild we've been dreaming of for a long time now, Icelynn. Even if he can't get us into the guild, maybe we can get more information about Fairy Tail from him." Lucy said, as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, but what if he's not the genuine mage he claims to be? And being on a ship owned by the guy, you'd have no way to get off. Not unless you called out the Sea-Witch, and even then, the chance of making it out alive is fifty-fifty." I retorted. "Besides, Fairy Tail's based out of Magnolia, and it's only one train ride from here. If you really want to join it that badly, then we have enough jewels to ride the train in the morning. All without having to dip into the savings we put aside to find us a place to live I might add." I said, as Lucy gave me a disappointed look.

"Will it be safe for us to do that? What if my father figures it out?" Lucy asked, as I scoffed at the very idea.

"If Jude wanted us back, we would have heard from him a long time ago. Besides, even if he does figure it out, we'll be full fledged wizards in a legal guild by the time he does. He wouldn't be able to touch us then." I told her.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Lucy agreed, as I stood up from the bench, and threw my bag over my shoulder. Following suit, Lucy grabbed her own bag and the magazine she had been reading before the creep showed up.

"Although, I think you just don't want to go because it's on a boat." Lucy muttered, as I narrowed my eyes in her direction.

"That was part of the reason, yes." I said, sending a proper smirk her way. "Says Fairy Tail's number one fan girl." I replied, a teasing note in my voice as I turned to begin heading towards the Inn Lucy and I would be staying at tonight. Before I started walking though, I looked over my shoulder at Lucy in all seriousness.

"Lucy, just promise me that you will consider my words, and not go to that guy's party?" I asked her, as she looked to the side. I know that it's a low blow for me to ask her this, considering her magic is all about promises, but my gut was telling me that something bad would happen should I let her go to that _Salamander or whoever's _party.

"I promise I'll consider your words." She said, as I nodded my head in thanks.

With that, Lucy and I continued to our inn for the night. Little did I know though; I had given Lucy a loophole.

XXX

_Later that night…_

_**I could feel cold, heavy metal circling my wrists. Wrists that were sore, bruised, and bleeding slightly from the struggling I'd done earlier in the day. I could clearly hear the chains that held me to the wall rattling around as I tried to break free of them, or break them from the wall; that is, if there wasn't agonized screaming coming from down the hall from another one of his victims. The only thing I could see around me, were the cold stone and iron bars that held me prisoner here in this hell that I've come to know.**_

_** All I knew in this moment, was that I needed to get out. To escape before the man who had imprisoned me here came back to use me in his twisted little experiments again. Or worse, force me to fight for my life again in order to test my capabilities as a dragon slayer.**_

_** Or even worse, finally conclude that I was no longer of any use and decide that it was time to dispose of me. **_

_** That was when I heard it. Footsteps coming towards my cell. At hearing them, I began my struggling anew. I couldn't let him get to me before I could get away, and I didn't have much time to make that happen. Closer, and closer the steps came to me, only for me to end up struggling harder, and harder to no avail. Upon hearing the door to my cell creak open, I felt pure fear engulf me, as I saw a dark figure standing in the doorway. **_

_** In the back of my mind, I knew that this was it. I was going to die…**_

Sitting bolt upright in one of the two beds that Lucy and I had rented for the night, I felt myself breathing heavily as I quickly glanced around me for the chains, the cell, and the mad man who had taken me prisoner all those years ago; only to find none of the things I had apparently been dreaming about.

Taking a calming, deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused my sense of smell to the things that I was surrounded with. The cleaning agents that the inn staff used to tidy up the rooms. The smell of the dinner Lucy and I had picked up on our way out of the park earlier today. The hours old scent of Lucy that clung to her empty bed. The scent of fear that still slightly clung to me.

_Calm down, Ice. It was only a dream, and you are not that weak little girl anymore. That bastard wouldn't be able to touch you ever again even if he tried._ I told myself, as I opened my eyes to check the time on the lacrima clock that sat on the end table that rested between my bed and Lucy's empty one.

_Holy shit, it's only midnight?_ I silently asked myself, as I looked over at Lucy's bed, wondering how my sister was fairing in the land of dreams, only to finally realize that Lucy was not where she had been when _we_ went to bed a mere _two hours ago!_

What's worse, I had noticed it the moment I had woken up too. The only reason it didn't register panic up until now is because I had been focused on calming myself after waking up from my nightmares. Just as I was about to jump up and begin getting dressed to go out and find her, I spotted a piece of paper that sat behind the lacrima clock. It was folded, and on the top in Lucy's handwriting was my name.

Feeling my stomach drop as I reached for the note, I unfolded it and began to read.

_Icelynn,_

_ If you're reading this, please don't worry about me. I know that you didn't want me to go to Salamander's party, and I considered your words like I had promised you. However, I did not promise that I wouldn't go, and I think asking him about Fairy Tail is too good an opportunity to pass up. Please don't be mad, and please don't wait up for me. I'll be back in the morning in time to make one of the earlier trains to magnolia. _

_I'll see you soon,_

_Lucy._

Crumbling up the piece of paper in my worry and anger, I felt as the page froze over as my magic began to leak out. By the time I had realized what had happened, not only was Lucy's note frozen solid, but a light frost now clung to the carpet floor I stood on. Cursing under my breath, I dropped the frozen note, not even registering the thud as it hit the floor as I rushed about getting dressed.

By the time I was out the door, I was just finishing pulling on my other boot before I shot down the hallway, making my way to the door to the inn. Once I was outside, I ran down the street at full speed in the direction of the harbor. When I reached one of the upper balcony's leading down to the pier, I spotted a huge yacht just sailing out.

Seeing it, I let out another curse.

Lucy just had to go and ignore my warning! Not only that, but she's on the one mode of transportation I can't touch without becoming about as helpless as a newborn baby. Still, that won't stop me from finding a way to get out there and saving her ass. The only problem now is finding someone who will not only believe me, but is willing to take me out there to it…

Just as I was about to find my way further down to the docks, I heard a couple of familiar voices.

"Wow, that was some grub, wasn't it Happy?" I heard the voice of the only other dragon slayer I've ever met: Natsu.

"Aye, it sure was." His little cat friend, Happy agreed, as I turned to look in their direction. The two of them were only a few feet away from me. Natsu was leaning up against the railing, while Happy sat on top of it, looking out into the harbor. "Do you think that's the boat that that _Salamander-guy_ is having his party on?" Happy asked, as Natsu took one look at it, and began looking more seasick than I've ever been in my entire life.

Looking back at the boat myself, I contemplated asking them for their help. I don't know if that guy really was a member of Fairy Tail or not, but the opposite of that was way worse, so I couldn't really leave it to chance. Making up my mind, I turned to make my presence known, only to hold up as three girls I had seen earlier that day began talking amongst themselves about _Salamander_ and his boat party.

"Isn't that the yacht Salamander was talking about earlier?" One of them asked.

"Yeah, I wish I could have gotten to go." Another answered, as the third one gave the other two a curious look.

"Didn't he say that he was a member of Fairy Tail?" she asked, as I saw Natsu stiffen at this.

"Fairy Tail?" I heard Natsu echo, a serious look overcoming his expression as I moved closer to him and Happy. Upon seeing it, I began getting a good feeling as to why Natsu felt that way. There was only one way to confirm this though.

"You two are Fairy Tail wizards, aren't you?" I asked them, gaining their attention.

"Oh, it's you. _Icelynn_, right?" I heard Natsu ask, as I nodded my head once. "What the heck are you doing all the way out here?" he asked, as I crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring his question for the time being. Lucy disappearing was a more pressing matter after all.

"I'm right aren't I? By your scent, I can tell that you're the _Fire Dragon Slayer_. You're the _real_ Salamander of Fairy Tail, aren't you?" I asked him again.

"Yeah, I sure am. Happy here is a Fairy Tail wizard too, aren't ya, little buddy?" Natsu asked, as Happy gave us both an _aye, sir_.

"I thought so." I said, as I turned my now very worried gaze towards the yacht leaving the port.

"Wait a minute, where's the girl that was with you earlier? Wasn't her name Lucy or something like that?" Happy asked me, as I bit my lip in thought.

"She's the reason why I'm out here. The faker those girls were talking about found Lucy and I after we had left the two of you at that restaurant and invited us to that party everyone's talking about. He told us that he'd be able to get us into Fairy Tail if we went to it." I explained, as the serious expression on Natsu's face became a bit more intense. It's quite different from the happy go lucky expression he had the entire time Lucy and I were with him and Happy earlier. "After he left, I tried to convince Lucy that it wasn't in our best interest to go to his party, but she apparently decided not to listen to me. I woke up just a little while ago to find her gone, and a note in her place." I said, as Natsu turned to look at Happy.

After the two of them had what appeared to be a silent conversation, Natsu gave Happy a small grin.

"Happy, do you think you could fly out to the boat while carrying Icelynn and me at the same time?" he asked his little friend, as I looked at them with a surprised expression.

"Wait, you two are going to go with me? And did you say that Happy can fly?" I asked them, as Natsu turned his grin towards me.

"Yeah. Happy here uses aera magic, so he can fly." Natsu answered me, as he turned back towards Happy. "So how about it, little buddy?"

"I can usually only carry one person at a time, but I think I can manage it so long as the boat doesn't go to far." Happy answered, as Natsu gave him a pat on the head.

"Wait, so you two are really going to help me get out there?" I asked them, as Natsu gave me a droll stare.

"We just said that we would, didn't we? Besides, from what you told us, it sounds like Luigi might be in some serious trouble. Not to mention that you guys were really nice to us earlier, so it's the least we can do, right Happy?" Natsu asked, as Happy hopped up to his feet.

"Aye, Sir!" Happy declared, as a pair of angelic wings suddenly sprouted from his back "I'm ready when you are." He told us, as I sighed heavily.

Thinking it over, I was going to ask them for their help originally, but them offering it instead makes my job of convincing them to go much easier.

"Alright, if you guys are sure. I don't know if Lucy really is in trouble or not; but if she really is, then we'll be outnumbered by a whole ship full of people. Not to mention other hostages." I relented, as I gave Natsu and Happy a nod. I was ready to get this shit over with anyway, and I still have to give Lucy an earful for sneaking out like she did…

Turning to face the sailing yacht once more, I prayed to whomever was listening that we would make it there before it was too late to save my sister…

_Lucy, just hang on, I'll be there soon…_

XXX

Next Chapter: Chapter 2 - Our Fairy Tail

XXX


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 x Our Fairy Tail

_Lucy…_

Looking around at the other party guests waiting to get on board Salamander's yacht, I tried my best to ignore the feeling of guilt that ate away at me. I may not have promised to stay away from this place like Icelynn had wanted, but I still hated going against the intuition she has that's gotten us out of trouble over the last year. Every time Icelynn has had a bad feeling about something, she was almost always proven right about it.

This time however, I just can't bring myself to abide by it.

I know that with Icelynn being a dragon slayer and all, she could smell a lie on a person a mile away, but she doesn't have all the facts. Yes, Salamander might be lying about his charm spells, but if he can get us into Fairy Tail, then I feel that we really shouldn't pass up this chance.

"Ah, there you are…" I heard Salamander's creepy voice say, as I plastered a fake smile on my face before I turned to greet him.

"Hello, again." I said, holding up a hand as I did so. "Thank you for inviting me to your party."

"Not a problem my dear." Salamander said, as that stupid smirk he wore earlier today transformed into a small frown. "Although, I must ask where your equally lovely sister might be? I did invite the both of you after all." He asked, as I gave him a fake apologetic smile.

"Oh, yeah, about that… Icelynn wasn't feeling well, so she stayed at the inn we rented for the night. I hope her absence doesn't offend you, and that you can still help her get into Fairy Tail." I said, falling back to the business training my father had Icelynn and I go through. After all, if we're going to get into this creep's good graces long enough to be able to join up, we're going to need it.

"Icelynn… That's your sister's name?" He asked, as I nodded my head once, while he took my arm and lead me onto the yacht.

"Yes, and my name is Lucy." I said, introducing myself, as Salamander took us back into a private dining area.

"Lucy and Icelynn. Both are beautiful names indeed. It's a real shame that Icelynn won't be joining us tonight." He said, as he guided me to a love seat that sat before a small, round table covered in a white cloth. Having me sit, Salamander then wandered off to the wine cabinet that sat against the wall by the door. Grabbing two glasses, only then did he bring them and the bottle of wine he had chosen back to the table.

Sitting them down, Salamander then took a seat himself on the single chair that sat across from the love seat I currently sat on by myself. Pouring a glass for each of us, he then gave me his best attempt at a charming smile. Seeing this, I was even beginning to get a bad feeling myself.

"Lucy, I'd like to toast to your beauty." Salamander said, as he snapped his fingers softly, using his magic to pull drops of the wine from the glass he had poured for me. "Now open your mouth and savor each flavorful drop as it enters your mouth." He said softly, as I felt my skin start to crawl.

_Okay, I'm strong! This will get me and Icelynn in Fairy Tail! I can do this!_ I mentally chanted to myself, as the drops of wine drew closer and closer to my mouth. Not wanting to have to watch Salamander's creepy face as this happened, I went to close my eyes. However, just as I was about to, I happened to catch a good glimpse at the second charm he wore on his hand, next to the love charm he used earlier.

The face of it was a crescent moon hugging a cloud, with its eyes closed in slumber. This creep was trying to use sleep magic on me. Not having any of that, I simply stood up just as the drops reached me, and slapped them away with my hand, leveling a glare at the wizard before me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded of him, as Salamander gave me a confused look. Scoffing at it, I moved my hand towards the keys that rested on the garter belt I wore beneath my red party dress as discreetly as I could. "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to put me under a sleeping spell." I told him simply, as the confused look fell away into an impressed one that didn't look so friendly.

Once again, it seems that Icelynn was right. What's more, I really should have listened to my sister on this one.

"Look, I may have given you the wrong impression. I really do want to join the Fairy Tail guild with my sister, but I'm not willing to date you to make that happen. Neither would Icelynn, that I know for a fact." I told him, as I crossed my arms. "I'm really sorry, but I think it's best that I get back to my sister."

As I spoke, I kept my eyes on Salamander to make sure my point would hit home. However, he simply stood up and gave me a knowing look that had my stomach sinking into the floor.

"My, you're quite a handful. Maybe it's a good thing Icelynn didn't come along. If she's just as feisty as you are, we'd certainly have our hands tied." He said, as the curtain that sat behind the love seat, I'd been sitting on was drawn back.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw the crew of the ship carrying all the _unconscious_ women who had also been invited to this creep's yacht. Meaning that Salamander's little party had been nothing but a trap. Looking from the women back to the man who would be the ringleader of our kidnappers, I began to feel disgust welling up inside me.

"Welcome aboard my ship." Salamander began, as his look darkened a bit. "It would also be wise of you to behave yourself until we make it to Bosco, because if you make me angry, I'll make the trip there a living hell for you." He warned me, as I grit my teeth.

"_Bosco_?" I echoed, as I clenched my fists. "You said you'd get me into Fairy Tail! Not drag me all the way to Bosco of all places!" I shouted at him, as the bastard chuckled at me.

"Oh, please. I only said that so I could lure you and your sister here in order to enslave the two of you." He said, as a slightly disappointed look crossed his face. "It really is a shame that Icelynn didn't fall into my trap as planned. Her beauty would have fetched me a high price; that is, if I didn't decide to keep her for myself. All is not lost with me getting my hands on her though. After all, if I hang on to you for a bit longer, I'll have the perfect bait for a protective sister."

As the situation I had gotten myself into became clearer, I grabbed a hold of my keys. I couldn't let them take my newfound freedom away from me like this. All that time I spent locked away in the Heartfilia's estate with my father's neglect, then the pain staking year Icelynn and I spent covering our tracks to make sure we're never forced to return to that place. I just can't let it end there. I won't let it end there…

Pulling my keys free from my garter belt, I went to grab Taurus' key, only to have them knocked out of my hands with Salamander's fire magic. It didn't burn me, but I could certainly feel a bruise beginning to form from where it had hit me. Before I could really react to it, Salamander had snatched my gate keys from the air.

"Well now, these are gate keys." Salamander said, as he held them in front of his face for further examination. "That makes you a celestial wizard then. Unfortunately for me, only the wizard who is contracted to the spirits these represent, can use them. So, since I can't use them, and you're going to be made into a slave, neither of us really needs them." He said, as he tossed my keys out the nearby open window.

"No!" I cried out in protest, as tears began to well up in my eyes. Those keys were the only thing I had left of my mother, and this creep had to take them from me, and toss them out like trash. Not only that, but he used magic to take advantage of other people, instead of using it to help others. Seeing this, feeling it, _hurt_.

"How could you use magic to do terrible things to other people! Your kind of wizards are the absolute worst!" I shouted at Salamander, as the tears of anger began to fall.

I didn't have to look at Salamander to tell that I had just pissed him off. Then again, two of his men grabbing each of my arms spoke volumes. At this point, I couldn't really bring myself to care, or to submit to them. After all, if Jude Heartfilia couldn't get me to submit, no one could.

Just as I was about to resign myself to my fate, the ceiling above our heads crashed in as two familiar figures landed in the wreckage. One had familiar pink hair, and the other had freezing blue eyes.

"Natsu! Icelynn!"

XXX

_Icelynn…_

Looking up at the sky as Happy struggled to carry Natsu and I across the open water, I tried my best to not think on how I'll be forced to fight on a boat. Not only that, but I was also hoping that Natsu didn't get seasick like I do. If he did, then hopefully we'll be able to figure something out. Personally, I could push the feeling back in small bursts, but never for very long, or more than a couple of times.

As we were almost to the boat, I caught a quick flash as something flew out of the boat that was now below us. I barely managed to look down before it splashed into the ocean. It looked like it was the ring of gate keys that belonged to Lucy. Knowing that something was up, I felt a low growl beginning to build up.

"Happy, can you drop us through the roof over there?" I asked the flying blue cat, who barely held us up as I nodded in the direction I was meaning.

"Aye!" he said, as Natsu looked down at me, passed our interlocked hands to keep me up in the air with him and Happy.

"What's over in that spot?" Natsu asked, as I glanced back up at him.

"Someone just threw Lucy's gate keys out of the window of that room. She's a holder type, so she can't use her magic without those keys." I explained as Happy got Natsu and I into position. "I know for a fact that Lucy would never throw her keys away like that, so she and the other girls must be in trouble."

"I gotcha." Natsu said, as Happy stopped over the spot I had pointed out. "Ready, little buddy?" he asked, as Happy gave us another _aye_. Looking down at me, I gave him a nod of agreement.

With that, Happy let us go, as Natsu swung me over to the side a little bit so we wouldn't end up busting through the ceiling on top of one another and let go of my hands. As we fell, Natsu charged up a bit of his fire magic to punch through our spot. Doing the same, Natsu and I were able to blast a hole big enough for the two of us to pass through easily.

Our epic entrance didn't live long though, sadly. For the seasickness I usually experienced on boats kicked in almost immediately, as I felt the blood rush from my face, and my stomach tied knots. Even the palms of my hands were clammy already. Glancing over at Natsu though, I easily found my seasickness to be nothing compared to his.

Poor guy was laid out flat on his stomach, trying his best not to blow chunks.

"_I knew this was a bad idea…_" I heard him whimper miserably, as I looked away from him. If Natsu really was going to barf, then I didn't want to see it. We'd only be fighting over the same bucket or trash can, or whatever there was to throw up in.

"What the hell!?" I heard Lucy exclaim in shock.

_Oh, right. Lucy plus trouble equals idiots who needs an ass kicking_. I thought, as I pushed the nausea back a bit. Standing from the crouch I had landed in, I turned in time to see Lucy wiggle out of the now slackened grip of the two guys that had been holding her arms. Apparently Natsu's sudden sickened state had shocked them worse than her. Once she was free, she made a bee line for the spot behind me.

"Icelynn! I'm so happy to see you!" Lucy said, as I gave her a small glare over my shoulder. Seeing it, Lucy clammed right up, and backed up further behind me.

Yeah, she's still in big trouble…

"Natsu and I are here too!" I heard Happy say from above us, as Lucy gasped and looked up as well.

"Happy! What are you guys doing here?" Lucy asked, having forgotten about poor Natsu and his blue cat in her excitement over seeing me it seems.

"We came with Icelynn to rescue you! Natsu and I also had a bit of business to discuss with the creepy guy from before!" Happy explained, as I turned back to keep an eye on the said creepy guy and all his pals. They were just beginning to come out of their shocked states.

_It's probably best if I have Happy take Lucy and fly out of here. Her dress isn't best suited for fighting, and she's not able to call out her spirits to help her either._ I thought, as I glanced back at Happy for a moment before looking back at the enemy.

"Happy, you and Lucy go back to Hargeon and contact the rune knights. Natsu and I'll do our best to keep these guys occupied." I told him, as Lucy gave me a look of protests.

Knowing that the situation was dire, and in need of contacting the rune knights, Happy swept Lucy up before she could voice any of her arguments and flew back out of the hole Natsu and I had created. Seeing it, the guy who had claimed to be _Salamander_ ended up being the faster one to snap out of it.

"Quick! Catch them before they get off the ship! We can't afford for them to alert the magic counsel!" The bastard said, as he threw open some doors that led to the deck outside and summoned a magic circle.

"Prominence Whip!" I heard him shout, as he cast his magic, sending out several of the red violet tendrils of flame he had used earlier in the day. Happy, lighter and faster now that he carried just one person, was able to maneuver his way through just about all of them. Right before they were about to get away, I saw as the ends of the tendrils began making a faster pace towards the two from all sides.

_Prominence? That name sounds familiar. I wonder if he's really that wizard Sorcerer Weekly wrote an article about a couple of years ago. Bora the Prominence, and if I recall it correctly, he was kicked out of his guild for continued use of illegal magics. _ I thought, as I willed my legs to follow the idiots after my sister and Happy outside.

Not willing to just stand there and watch as Lucy and Happy gets captured, I sent a blast of my ice magic at the spot the tendrils would converge. Thankfully, even in my sickly state, I was able to hit the area dead on. As the fire magic collided with mine, they canceled each other out in a small explosion akin to fireworks going off.

"Damn it!" I heard the faker curse, as he turned a nasty glare my way. Returning it, I placed my hand against the door frame I currently stood beside to help me remain upright.

"Should we turn around and go after them boss?" One of the faker's cronies asked, as the crew watched as Happy and Lucy flew off.

"No, just leave them. We need to be long gone from here before they have a chance to contact the magic counsel." He said, as he turned to pin his glare on me once more. Only this time, he seemed a little smugger than before. "Besides, we have a much prettier ice mage to sell in the blonde girl's place."

At this disgusting mage's words, I didn't even try to conceal the growl that left my chest.

_So that's what this guy was up to. Using extravagant parties to lure girls onto this ship in order to haul them off to sell as slaves._ I thought angrily, as I was reminded all too well of my own captivity. To be honest, if Natsu and the other girls being held hostage weren't on this boat, then I'd freeze it and the crew on board and send it down to the bottom of the sea.

However, Natsu and other hostages _are_ on board, so that plan was out. That alone would be their saving grace. Besides, this guy decided to put his filthy sights on my sister and I, and for that he needs to pay dearly. However, before I do that, I need to let Natsu have a talk with the guy about his supposed status as a Fairy Tail wizard.

Once Natsu is done with him though, I'm going to teach him that I'm not some ordinary ice mage he can so easily dismiss.

"Natsu, you had something to ask this pig before I kicked his teeth in. If you want him to talk, you'd better ask your questions now." I warned my fire dragon counterpart, as he crawled from where he was laying after we made our entrance to the deck outside.

"Really now? Would that be wise I wonder?" the perverted faker asked sarcastically, as he turned away to face the port. "I told your sister this before you so rudely interrupted her introduction into her new life as a slave girl, but you'd _both_ best behave on our journey. I have no problem breaking in a new slave on the way to having her sold. There's no point in either of you fighting anyway. What can a boy that can barely stand, and a weak ice wizard girl do against a powerful fire mage like me anyway?"

At his words, I felt as the ship swayed upon the sea, causing another wave of nausea to wash through me. Biting my bottom lip to keep from throwing up and proving this guy's point, I tried my best to focus on him and the other enemies that surrounded Natsu and me.

"Would it be so _wise_ to underestimate us so quickly, _I wonder_." I echoed back at the very foolish man once the nausea passed somewhat. "Because I can _promise _you'll regret crossing me and mine."

"Come now, even I can see how seasick you are right now. Although it seems like you can control it better than that poor sod that crashed my party with you." The faker said, as he cast a glance at Natsu that spoke of how pathetic he found him, then looked back at me. "Be as that may, I'll have to take you down a few pegs. _Get them_!" he ordered his goons, as they all got sinister looks on their faces.

Pushing away from the door frame, I managed to get my arms up in time to block the punch that was being thrown at me. Luckily for me, none of these guys were using magic against me, making this a little more even considering that being on this ship is throwing my focus off; therefore, making it nearly impossible to use my magic like I normally would in a situation like this.

_Too bad we can't do this on land. I sure would love to break out my dragon slaying magic on these assholes. It's been a little too long since I last got to use it, and Jude isn't around to stop me either._ I thought, as I continued to block and throw my own punches and kicks. Unfortunately, my seasickness only allowed me to keep up with this for so long. Still, I have to buy Lucy and Happy as much time as I can. Soon as they can inform the rune knights, the sooner that they can send someone after Natsu and I, and the other girls being kidnapped.

Speaking of Natsu, the poor kid's own sickness was causing him to be pummeled to the deck of the ship.

Apparently, glancing over to check on Natsu turned out to be a mistake, seeing as one of the guys I was trying to hold off got around my guard, and delivered a nasty blow to my jaw. In my weakened state, it was enough to send me down on my ass. A stinging sensation told me that my lip had even been busted. Holding the side of my fist to the small cut, I glared daggers up at the guy who threw it. He stood his ground against it, but my sharp eyes didn't miss the sweat that began to cling to the guy's brow out of fear.

However, before I could attempt to get back up, I noticed as Natsu blocked a kick that was aimed at his head. The guy I was fighting noticed it too, as he paused and looked over at his pal and my newfound friend.

"Fairy Tail." Natsu said, as I risked looking over as well.

Hearing him, the faker who was calling all the shots turned to look at Natsu as well. "You're a member?" Natsu asked him, as the faker opened his mouth to respond.

Not that he got a chance to though, seeing as this huge tidal wave just appeared out of nowhere, and was racing towards us. Upon seeing it, I kicked the guy I was fighting away from me, the panic overriding my seasickness for the moment, and made my way into the cabin where the other girls who were being kidnapped were located. Slamming the door closed behind me, I then laid a thin layer of ice over the entire room. This way, I could ensure that the girls wouldn't be hurt when that wave hits and throws us back into the port.

Unfortunately for me, doing this left me ungrounded for when it did hit us.

"_SHE JUST HAD TO CALL OUT THE SEA WITCH!_" I screamed in irritation, as I hit just about every surface there was to be had in this small private dining area or whatever the hell it's supposed to be.

Thankfully though, our flight into the port didn't last for very long. I didn't even have to shatter the ice I pinned everything down with either. Which was good, considering that as soon as everything stopped, I was throwing up into a _boot_ of all things.

_Beggars can't be choosers, I guess._ I thought miserably, as I tossed the now offending footwear away from me.

Now that the boat ride was over, so was my seasickness; and not that I wasn't pissed off before, but that faker really is up shit creek sans the paddles now, and a big hole in the bottom of the boat. Getting to my feet, and feeling a whole lot better, I looked over at where the door was. Thankfully the side of the ship that landed in the sand had the door on the side I and the now awaking hostages ended up on. So, it was going to be easy for the girls to get out, even with their gowns on.

"Wait, what's happening?" I heard one girl ask.

"Yeah, what happened to Salamander's party?" another asked, as I turned to address them.

"You guys need to get off this boat now and find the rune knights. _Salamander_ as you call him, was trying to kidnap you all, and ship you to Bosco to be sold as slaves." I told them, as one of the girls huffed at me.

"Wait a second, _Bosco_? Are you sure?" she asked, as I gave her a dark glare. Seeing it, the hussy decided that it was best to back down. I meant what I said, and I was as serious as the dead about it.

"It came from the bastard's mouth himself." I said, as I nodded towards the door. "If you don't believe me, then go outside and check it out for yourself. As for me, I've got a wizard's ass to freeze to hell and back. "I told them, as I whispered to myself. "If Natsu doesn't handle him first that is." With that, I left the girls to decide what they wanted to do.

Walking over to the door frame, I simply ripped it off from the hinges in my anger and wasted no time in jumping over the small obstacle the door frame presented. When I landed in the sand outside, I caught a glimpse of Lucy running towards the beached ship. Seeing that she was safe for the moment, I looked along the boat for any signs of our current enemy, or that of our ally. I ended up spying Natsu first, seeing as he was standing way up on what was now the top of the ship. Below him stood the bastard and his goons on the sand.

Not feeling like letting Natsu have all the fun, I went to make my way towards him to help. However, before I could make it more than a couple of steps, I was caught around the middle in a hug from behind via Lucy.

"Icelynn! I'm so happy you're okay!" she exclaimed, as I turned to give her the stink eye. Seeing it, Lucy visibly gulped.

"I'm in a little bit of trouble, aren't I?" she asked me shyly, as I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Define _a little_." I said, as I turned to face Natsu and the guys he was facing off against. "Look, I'll yell at you later, but let's just get this shit over with first." I suggested, as Lucy and Happy followed my gaze up to where Natsu stood.

"So, I heard that you claim to be a member of the Fairy Tail guild. That right? Then let me get a good look at your face." Natsu told the faker, who looked up at him with distaste.

"What's it to you if I am or not?" the faker asked sarcastically as he glanced at the few of his men who didn't end up being injured. "Go get him." He ordered, as two of them ran forward to do as they had been told.

Watching as they ran up to him, Natsu pulled off the red jacket he had been wearing up until this point, revealing an open black and orange accented vest; and on his bare left shoulder was the mark of the guild the faker had falsely claimed to be a part of.

"Watch out Natsu!" Lucy shouted out from behind me, as she moved to stand next to me instead.

"Don't worry about him, Natsu will be alright." Happy told her, as he pulled out a fish from the small green bag he wore on his back and began munching on it.

"But he's out numbered." Lucy said, as I glanced at her for a second before turning my gaze back to Natsu.

"Happy's right Lucy. Natsu's a dragon slayer, remember?" I told her, as Lucy turned concerned eyes up at me. "I know that I haven't really used my magic in front of you, but dragon slayer magic is a lot stronger than you think. I only avoided it up until now so that Jude wouldn't recognize me by it and come looking for us." I explained to her, as Lucy gave a small _oh_ that I would have missed if it weren't for my acute hearing.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you were a dragon slayer too, Icelynn. You have the element of ice though, don't you?" Happy asked me, as I nodded my head once. "I thought so. Thanks for throwing that jerk off my tail earlier." He thanked me, as I gave him a soft smile.

"Not a problem." I told the little blue fur ball. With all of that now settled, the three of us looked up just in time to see Natsu smack the shit out of the two guys gunning for him, not even having to use a spark of his magic.

Once they were out of the way though, Natsu took a good long look at the guy who had claimed to be him.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel, Salamander of Fairy Tail; and I've never seen or smelled you before." Natsu said, as he held the guild mark on his arm up for the faker and his pals to see.

Upon seeing it, all of them, including the faker, began to sweat bullets. One of the ones who looked about ready to piss themselves turned towards their boss and pointed up at Natsu.

"Oh shit, I think he's the real deal Bora, look at the mark on his arm!" the man shouted, making _Bora _bristle.

"Don't call me that out here!" he shouted back at him, as I felt my eyes narrow dangerously on _Bora the Prominence_. Looks like this bastard was the dumbass mage I had pegged him to be times a hundred after all.

"Wait just a damn minute! Natsu's a member of Fairy Tail!?" Lucy shouted in just as much shock, as I felt a sly smirk cross my face. Seeing it, Lucy rounded on me. "You knew about this!?" she demanded, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"I pieced it together before we came to rescue you. Some girls on the side of the docks were gossiping about the party you sneaked off to, and how _Salamander was a member of Fairy Tail_. You really should have seen the look on Natsu's face when he overheard them say that. From that alone, I figured that only a real member of such a guild as Fairy Tail would react the way he did." I explained, as we turned back to the standoff before us once again. "It wasn't until after I blocked that bastard's spell from reaching you and Happy that I began to suspect that son of a bitch was really Bora the Prominence."

"I've heard of him too." Happy said, as he crossed his little arms from where he still sat upon Lucy's shoulder, just like when the two had shown up beside me. "From what I heard; he had been kicked out of the _Titan Nose _wizard guild a few years ago for bad behavior." Happy said, as Natsu began to advance towards Bora.

"I don't know what the hell you're trying to pull here pal, but your wrong if you think I'm just going to sit back and let you dirty Fairy Tail's name." Natsu told him, as Bora took on a defensive stance.

"And what do you think you're going to do about it? Barf on me?" Bora asked sarcastically, as he sent a spell at Natsu that made the section of the boat he was standing on erupt into flames.

Seeing it, Lucy took a few steps forward to try and do something about it, but I simply blocked her with my arm. She turned to say something to me, but I cut her off easily.

"He's fine Lucy, Bora's magic isn't going to work on Natsu." I told her, as Lucy became confused. "Just watch and you'll see what I mean." I told her, as she turned her attention back to the raging ball of flames that were beginning to become _smaller_.

Once it got small enough, we were finally able to see Natsu's outline through the flames. Bora on the other hand, had turned away to try and make his escape, thinking Natsu had been finished off. Boy was he surprised when Natsu proved him wrong.

"Oh yuck! These flames are gross, how the hell can you call yourself a fire wizard!" we all heard Natsu say, as Bora whirled back around just in time to see Natsu finish eating all of the flames that surrounded his body.

I don't know if it was the horrified look or the girlish scream that Bora let out, but it was funny enough to make me fall to my knees as I clutched my stomach as the laughter broke out of me in waves. Lucy's expression was just as bad, making my laughing fit even worse. Seeing me practically keeled over from my laughing fit, Lucy stomped her foot, making me laugh even more.

"_WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY! HE JUST ATE ALL OF THE FIRE LIKE IT WAS NOTHING! I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE DO THAT BEFORE!_" Lucy freaked out, as I began gasping for breath.

"That's why… hahahaha… I said to watch and… hahahah… You'll see… hahahah…" I said through my giggles, as a fiendishly delighted smile appeared on Happy's face, as he sprouted his wings once more to hover around us.

"What Icelynn means is that fire magic won't work on Natsu." Happy said for me, as I began getting my fit under control.

"It doesn't?" Lucy asked, as I got back on my feet.

"One of the perks of being a dragon slayer, is that if you were to eat your element you can not only replenish your magic, but you can also heal your body; and best of all, you can amplify the magic from it up to that of a dragon's power and send it right back at the idiot who cast it at you." I explained, as I began making my way over to where Natsu was heading to take on Bora. "Hey Happy, do you mind filling Lucy in the rest of the way about dragon slayer magic. I'm getting bored just standing there watching Natsu fight, so I'm going after Bora's crew." I tossed over my shoulder, as I took off in a jog.

"Aye, sir!" I heard Happy shout as I went out of eyesight of the cat and my sister.

Thankfully, by the time that I caught up with Natsu, he had already engaged Bora in a fight, leaving his goons to stare worriedly at their boss who was losing terribly. A few of them had even begun muttering about just running while Bora had his hands full of the other fire wizard. Rolling my eyes at the criminal mentality they all had, I simply cleared my throat to get their attention.

Turning around to see me, they all then began to get a bit angry. Not that I could blame them. All in one night, I had helped to crash one of their rigged parties, have a relation to the girl who had their ship thrown into port, and the reason why all of the girls they had planned on selling had run for the hills as soon as the fighting had started.

Giving them a wicked smile, I did the one spell I've been itching to do for years now…

"_ICE DRAGON ROAR!_" I shouted at them, as I roar a blast of ice at them, much like a dragon would have. By the end of it, all of them had some form or another of frost bite. Those who had stood at the front and center for my roar were pretty much frozen in place, while a few of the ones at the back managed to maintain their mobility. I was a little disappointed that it didn't reach all the way back, but I decided not to think too hard on it as I summoned my ice dragon claws to each of my hands and began to take out the rest who had not yet fallen.

Like I had told Lucy earlier, it's been a long time since I could last properly use my dragon slaying magic. Back before we left the Heartfilia estate, Jude had forbidden me from using my dragon slayer magic. According to him, such ancient and primitive magic was not proper for an esteemed ward of the Heartfilia family to learn and use. To be honest, this was the first time that I felt a full sense of relief since back before Storm left me behind. Just as I had also said earlier today, it's been a year since we left, and Jude hasn't done a damn thing. I'm done hiding from him and hiding my magic from the world.

Lucy and I were free to make our own choices now. I might still have my nightmares but leaving the Heartfilia estate to join a guild might be just what I need to finally let go of it fully. And if fighting alongside Natsu and asking him to take us back to Fairy Tail with him will accomplish that, then I'll gladly fight with him.

Before I knew it, all the guys I had been fighting were out for the count. Satisfied that they wouldn't be moving for quite some time, I set about freezing their hands behind their backs, and then freezing their ankles together so that they couldn't wake up between now and when the rune knights finally show up and make a break for it.

Now that my fight was finished, I began making my way back towards Lucy, only to end up having to dodge backwards as Bora and Natsu's fight came a little too close to me for comfort.

"_RED SHOWER!_" I heard Bora shout in fright, as he sent a rain of discolored fire balls at Natsu. All the while, Natsu just kept coming at him without mercy.

"That's not red you idiot! It's _RED VIOLET! GET YOUR FUCKING COLOR'S RIGHT!_" I shouted up at him in irritation as the two moved further into town. Destroying a whole line of houses as they went. "And of course, I'm just ignored." I muttered to myself and I hurried over to Lucy and Happy before the two could have a chance to come back in my direction. Just as I made it back over to them, Happy was just finishing up explaining what he knew about dragon slayers to my sister.

Standing on the side lines together, we simply watched as Natsu batted Bora around Hargeon for a while. The longer that the fight went on, the crazier Bora became with fright. Throwing his spells around wildly as the citizens of Hargeon tried their best to evacuate the area. At one point, I even had to put up a shield of ice to help protect some people who had taken to hiding in an alley way. All of them just trying their best to avoid being hit by a stray blast of fire magic.

Eventually though, Natsu managed to catch one of the huge ass fire balls Bora was flinging around and consumed the whole thing much to the faker's horror. Once he devoured it, Natsu decked Bora right in the face with his fire dragon fist attack. From there, the fight ended with Bora being thrown so hard, he started ringing the bell of the church he crashed into. The only building in the vicinity that still stood undamaged ironically.

Watching the whole event unfold to the very end, I couldn't help but smile. Sure, I might not have been able to kick Bora the Prominence's ass for messing with my sister, but I felt better now that he's at least been taken care of. By a member of our favorite guild no less.

Seeing as the fight was now over, I used my own fist attack to shatter the ice hiding the citizens of the town. They all gave me nods of gratitude as they left the alley to go and find any others who had already gotten away or went to hide like they did. Watching them go, Lucy, Happy, and I soon heard what sounded like clinking metal. Like you would hear if someone were marching in a suit of armor.

_Great… They show up with their typical timing too_… I thought sourly, as we finally caught sight of the yellow and navy-blue uniforms and shields of the rune knights. Seeing as they showed up after everything had been settled, there was no way that they _weren't_ going to suspect us of doing most of the damage done to the port, so I mentally began preparing myself for being caught and interrogated.

That plan was thrown out the window though, seeing as I felt someone with familiar warm hands grab my wrist, and began dragging me along behind them down the street away from the approaching army. Hearing a surprised yelp come from beside me, I knew that Lucy was being drug off to God knows where too.

"Where are you taking us!?" Lucy asked the pink haired kid dragging us at a break-neck speed out of Hargeon.

"Just come on! If we let them catch us, then it'll take longer to get you girls to Fairy Tail! You two wanted to join, didn't you?" Natsu asked, as he tossed us a toothy grin. "So, lets go!"

At this, all Lucy and I could do was look at each other in shock before matching smiles crossed our faces as well. Taking our hands from Natsu, we began trying our best to keep up with him.

"Damn right we do!" I told him, as Lucy giggled in excitement.

"Took the words out of my mouth, Icelynn!" she said, as we ran and ran.

XXX

_Dear Storm,_

_ Lucy and I finally got the invite we always wanted to go to Fairy Tail and join up with the guild. I'm really excited and nervous, but I can't wait until we arrive in Magnolia. We couldn't get on board the train until this morning though, seeing as we ended up having to camp out in the woods last night to avoid getting Natsu caught by the Rune Knights. Once daybreak hit, Lucy and I snuck back to our Inn room to gather our bags and met Natsu back at the train station. It's a little disappointing that we can't get a refund for the room we ended up not using, but at least we're on our way now._

_ In just a few hours, we should be in Magnolia. Although, it's probably going to feel more like an eternity for poor Natsu. _

_ I say that because it seems like motion sickness is a common trait among us dragon slayers. However, where mine only affects me on boats, Natsu's affects him on __every__ mode of transportation except for flying. Oh, and Natsu Is the fire dragon slayer by the way. The dragon who taught him his magic was Igneel. The friendly rival you had, if I remember it right. Apparently Igneel disappeared on Natsu, much like you did with me. Unlike me though, Natsu hasn't stopped looking for him._

_ Don't get me wrong, I love you like a father Storm, but I know you'll come back someday._

_ As for how I came to learn all of this… Well, Lucy got herself into some trouble. She ended up going to this party that turned out to be a trap to kidnap people to be sold in an underground slave ring. Natsu and his little blue talking cat named Happy helped me save her butt. In the process of that though, he ended up destroying a good portion of Hargeon. _

_ Not to mention that Lucy kind of had the sea-witch throw a boat into port…_

_ Thankfully though, no one got hurt except the creep who tried to kidnap Lucy and his goons. It felt so good to use my dragon slayer magic without having to hold it back. Keeping it under wraps helped me to learn good control over my magic, but it made me a bit rusty. I won't have to worry about this for very long though, seeing as Lucy and I will hopefully be joining Fairy Tail very soon. We just have to get to Magnolia, visit the guild and apply, then go and find a place for us to live. _

_ My life is finally looking up Storm, and I can't wait…_

_With love,_

_Icelynn._

XXX

By the time that Lucy and I finally stood before the guild hall of Fairy Tail, the two of us had our stomachs full of little nervous fairies. The building itself wasn't intimidating in the least, no it was the opposite in fact. More charming than anything else. It looked to have two floors, and high up on top of it stood a flag with the same guild emblem that was on Natsu's arm. The walls were a cream white, and the roof tiles a brick red. And the sign stood with the word _Fairy Tail_ written in purple letters, with a fairy on each side, complete with tails. Just like its name sake.

"Oh wow! We're actually here Icelynn, we're standing right in front of the guild of our dreams!" Lucy gushed, as she looked up at the guild hall with her bright chocolate brown eyes.

"Yeah, hard to believe isn't it?" I asked her, as I couldn't help but grin up at it myself.

"Well, believe it or not, welcome to Fairy Tail." Happy chirped from where he was standing in front of Lucy, Natsu, and me.

"Just like Happy said. Now enough talking, lets get inside so you can meet everyone." Natsu said, as an evil smirk crossed his face. "Besides, I owe someone a flaming knuckle sandwich for lying to me about that Salamander we ran into." He said, as we began to head inside.

However, instead of reaching to open the door like Lucy and I thought he would, Natsu literally all but kicked the door right off its hinges.

"_WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!_" Natsu bellowed as he walked in with Happy now floating behind him. "We're home, guys!" Happy said as well, as the other guild members began throwing different kinds of greetings back at the two.

Following them inside, Lucy and I stopped just inside the doorway to take in the inside of the guild hall itself. I made sure to stay close to Lucy though. I would need her familiar scent nearby me for a while, at least until I get use to all the new smells that surrounded us. The sounds I could tune out easily enough. My time as the esteemed ward of the Heartfilia family had helped me learn how to do that easily enough, thankfully.

Still, the inside of the guild hall was just as amazing as it was outside. As were the many different types of wizards that were currently filling the hall with life.

Natsu on the other hand, already familiar with the other mages and their smells, moved through his fellow members with ease until he spotted the mage, he _owed a flaming knuckle sandwich_. Seeing the dragon slayer's approach, this guy sitting at a small round table turned to unexpectantly greet Natsu's… _Foot_?

"What's up, Natsu! I heard you went all out in Hargeon. Starting trouble like alwa-" the poor guy said, only to be sent flying into another empty table nearby before he could get his whole sentence out.

_Wait… I thought Natsu wanted to give him a knuckle sandwich. So why did he kick him instead?_ I thought with an eyebrow raised, as I glanced back at Lucy, who wore a more horrified expression.

"_WHAT THE HELL YOU JERK! WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND LIE TO ME ABOUT THAT SALAMANDER_!?" Natsu demanded, his fist held up, flames now coming off of it. _Okay, I guess the guy's getting a flaming knuckle sandwich after all._ I thought, as I began wondering if I would need to conjure up some of my ice for any burns or bumps the guy may have gotten.

However, before I could do more than think this passing thought, the same guy who got sent flying, flew up from the debris of the now broken table about as fast as he made the mess. Seeing this, I couldn't help but watch on in shock at the scene before me.

"_I DIDN'T LIE TO YOU! I WAS JUST PASSING ON A RUMOR I KNEW YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN!_" the guy shouted back, as Natsu became a bit shell shocked for about a split second before his anger came back full force.

"_IT WAS JUST A RUMOR!?_" Natsu freaked, as the mage finally got up from the floor and charged at Natsu. "_YOU WANNA FIGHT!?_" Natsu mockingly asked, as he noticed the guy coming for him.

"_LET'S GO!_" Natsu's new opponent said, as the two began throwing regular punches at each other. Not before Natsu put his fire out though, thankfully.

Unfortunately, though, anyone who tried to say anything to the two, ended up being pulled into the fight as well. Turning the simple one on one guild fight into a guild brawl. Seeing this, I couldn't help but feel a little bit of a whiplash from how fast things were escalating. Even Happy ended up being sent flying at some point.

Reaching beside me, I grabbed Lucy's arm and began slowly moving us away form the growing brawl. The bar looked to be a safer place to be anyway, and we could ask about joining while we wait for this to be over with. After all, Lucy and I weren't even a part of the guild yet, not to mention we had just got into town. However, we almost made it to the bar before we had to stop. Standing in our way was a pale skin guy, wearing only a necklace and black boxers. A blue guild emblem on the right side of his bare chest.

"So Natsu's back, huh!?" He demanded, as he turned to face the brawl cloud that Natsu was currently in the middle of. "Its time we settle our score for good!"

Lucy watched on with a blush on her face, while I couldn't help but watch in wonder at all of the crazy assed people Lucy and I were surrounded with at the moment. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the Heartfilia estate, which was making this place grow on me rather quickly. However, before the near naked guy could reach the brawl, this girl wearing dark capris, and blue bikini top sitting at the bar called out to him.

"Hey Grey! You're missing your clothes again." She told him, as Lucy and I both recognized the name she said.

Apparently, the near naked guy was Grey Fullbuster, the Fairy Tail wizard whose magic causes him to have a stripping problem of sorts. His magic is one of the elemental varieties, but I'd have to check Lucy's Sorcerer Weekly magazines to tell which one though.

"I don't have time to worry about it!" Gray called back to her, as he jumped into the brawl at long last. Rolling her eyes at the antics of her guild mates, the girl at the bar reached beside her for the _open barrel_ of what smelled like Vodka.

"And that's why I don't date any kind of guy from this guild. None of you have any sort of class whatsoever." She muttered, as she turned the entire barrel up and took a deep drink from it. It was pretty impressive to watch. Being a dragon slayer, my tolerance for alcohol is much higher than that of a regular mage; but even a hundredth of what this lady was drinking would have me on my ass for days. Even Lucy was flabbergasted. We didn't get to dwell on it for long though, as another mage of the guild began making his way to the brawl.

He was a tall guy, like way over six foot and broad shouldered. He wore what looked like a navy-blue school uniform or something. He was dark tan and had white hair with a scar running down from the corner of his right eye.

"It's only just noon, and you boys are whining like spoiled brats." The big guy said, as Natsu and Gray crawled out of the brawl for just a moment to give him their undivided attention; and not in a good way I might add. "A real man would take this outside!" he shouted at them, only for Natsu and Gray to both knock his lights out, sending him across the guild as he did so.

Once he was out of their sight though, they finally began fighting each other in earnest. As for that lousy display, I really had no words to say. If the big guy wanted to get up and talk big, then he needed to be ready to be pulled in just like everyone else had been. Putting my mind back to the task of guiding my sister and I safely to the bar where no fighting was going on, I turned to do just that; only to pause as my creeper alert began going off again.

Turning around, I spotted this red headed guy wearing sunglasses in a green coat cuddling up to a long brownish blonde girl, and a short haired black girl on either side of him. What's worse, he had his gaze set on Lucy and me. Getting a good look at him though, I recognized him as Loke. One of the Fairy Tail guys Lucy had on her list of potential boyfriends.

Seeing that I was distracted, Lucy even turned to see what was going on. When she finally did, the guy watching us finally spoke.

"It's quite noisy in here, isn't it?" he asked us, only to end up having a random glass bounce off of his forehead. After that, even he got up to join the fight. As he did so, Lucy reached into her bag to pull out said list and a red marker. Flipping to the page that held his picture and bio, she simply put a red_ X_ over his entry.

After he left us, Lucy and I simply moved back a few more steps.

"This is ridiculous. There's not a single sane person here, is there?" Lucy asked me, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Who knows, maybe someone will surprise us yet." I answered, as I heard footsteps walking up behind us. Hearing them too, Lucy turned around to see who was coming at the same time I did to find the one and only Mirajane.

"Hello. Are the two of you new here?" she asked us, as Lucy went bug eyed.

"_IT'S MIRAJANE IN THE FLESH!_" Lucy squealed, as she teetered over from all of the excitement she was now feeling. Catching her, I simply pushed her back to stand up right as I cast an apologetic smile at Mirajane.

"Oh, hi. Sorry about all of this. My sister is just a big fan of yours." I said, as I nodded at my still dazed sister. "My sister's name is Lucy, and I'm Icelynn. We came here hoping to join up with Fairy Tail."

"It's quite alright, and it's very nice to meet the two of you." Mirajane said, accepting my apology, as Lucy finally came back to her senses.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you too Mirajane!" Lucy said, as she waved at her. Only to end up having to snatch her hand out of the way of a flying bottle. Feeling a little worried about what I had hoped was no man's land, Lucy, Mirajane, and I all turned to face the brawl once more. Just in case we needed to dodge another stray flying object.

"Don't you think we need to stop this?" Lucy asked Mirajane, as she simply giggled at us a bit.

"I'd just leave them alone. It happens all of the time, actually." Mirajane began, as she turned to face the brawl. "Besides-"Before Mirajane could finish though, the big guy from earlier was knocked across the room for a second time, and crash landed right on top of the poor woman. "It's kind of fun, don't ya think?" Mira finished, as what appeared to be her soul began to leak out of her mouth.

"_Mirajane!_" Lucy squeaked, her worry for the poor woman's health, frightfully clear on her face. "_Icelynn, quick! Put her soul back in and freeze it in there!_" Lucy panicked, as I rolled my eyes at the dramatics. However, before I could tell my sister off…

She gets crash landed by a very no longer _near naked_, but a _full naked_ Gray Fullbuster…

Looking up and away from the piece of male anatomy on full display, I looked back in the direction Gray had come from. Sure enough, I spy Natsu flinging around Gray's pair of black boxers.

"Give me back my underwear, you asshole!" Gray shouted at him, as Lucy shoved him away and got back on her feet. Her face as red as a tomato as she tried to look anywhere but at the naked man in front of her.

_Well, at least he isn't bad on the eyes._ I thought, as the squeak of embarrassment that left Lucy's mouth drew Gray's attention. Turning around to face her, Gray then proceeded to ask Lucy and I if either of us would allow him to borrow our underwear for a bit. To which Lucy kicked the hell out of him, sending him back towards Natsu. Backing away myself, I just decided to keep myself busy on making sure no harmful objects or other naked wizards didn't fly into my sister. A good thing too, considering that Loke guy from before tried to sweep Lucy off of her feet. Only to end up being knocked back by the big guy, who then got kicked by Natsu.

After that, Lucy decided to back further away herself as the brawl now put tensions inside the guild hall at an all time high.

"So much for enjoying a nice, quiet drink." I heard the girl at the bar say, as she pulled out a card, she poured her magic into. "I suggest that you all knock it off already!" she shouted, as a few other wizards began to get their own magic or spells ready to fly. Even Natsu got his flames ready to go.

Up until this point, all the fighting had been done with fists, but now that they were about to bring magic into it, things were about to get serious. Pulling Lucy behind me, I got ready to use the ice defense spell I know to defend us. Thankfully though, before I even had to waste the magic energy to summon it, the fighting suddenly stopped as this huge _giant _shadow showed up.

"Holy shit…" I cursed under my breath, as I took in the sheer size of the wizard standing before us. He was so tall, that he had to stay hunched over to avoid banging his head against the roof of the building; seeing as the middle of the second floor was non-existant of course.

"_**WOULD YOU BRATS STOP BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN**_" he demanded, as all of the magic aura and circles that had been brought forth to summon up magic quickly dissipated. Mirajane, who was now free from being trapped under the big guy from earlier, simply gave the giant wizard a big smile.

"Oh, hello there, master. I'm sorry for the disturbance, I didn't realize that you were still here." Mirajane apologized, as I felt my eyes widen in shock.

_Wait, that gigantic man is the master of Fairy Tail!_ I thought in shock, as I blinked up at the man before Lucy and I. From his scent alone, I could tell that he had a lot of raw, magical power despite being an old man from what his scent was telling me. I can see why everyone fighting stopped what they were doing and went deathly still. This man is not someone you want to cross.

Well, except for Natsu…

"Man, talk about being a bunch of babies! It looks like I win!" Natsu declared, only for the giant master to step on him like a bug for not listening. At this, Lucy squeaked in fear, and though I hate to admit it; I did too. Unfortunately, this only drew the giant master's attention to us.

Looking us over, the giant man hummed in though.

"I see that we have a couple of new recruits." He said, as Lucy and I nodded our heads and gave him a _yes, sir_. I usually don't think to use such terms, but in this situation, it felt most appropriate. Especially if we didn't want to end up with the same squashed fate as poor Natsu Dragneel. May he rest in pieces…

After we confirmed the master's thoughts on us joining his guild, he released a good bit of magic power before he _shrank_ to a smaller size. When the magical energy pouring out of the master stopped, he ended up being about knee high in height…

"It's nice to meet ya!" he said cheerfully, as I blinked in confusion.

"Likewise…" I muttered, still a little too shocked to form too many words at the moment.

"He's so tiny! Is he really the master?" Lucy asked Mirajane, she was still just as shocked as I was about this whole thing, but the severity of the expression she had on her face had softened at least.

"Of course, he is. Lucy, Icelynn, allow me to introduce you to Fairy Tail's guild master, Makarov." Mirajane introduced us, as the little old guy nodded his head once.

With that, he then jumped a whole lot higher than I'd thought such a small guy could possibly jump and landed on the banister of the second floor. However, due to a slight miscalculation, the master of Fairy Tail accidentally hit his head on the banister instead. Thankfully, Master Makarov was able to save himself from falling back down to the second floor, and simply pulled himself the rest of the way up.

Once on his feet, he then turned to address the guild, like it his slip up had never happened in the first place.

"You've all gone and done it again, you brats! Look at all of the complaints the magic counsel has sent me this time! It's the biggest pile they've sent me yet! I swear, all you brats are good for are getting the higher ups mad at me!" He growled at everyone, holding up a thick stack of papers he pulled out from the little orange jacket he wore for all to see. "However, I say to heck with the magic counsel!" He then stated, as what I could only describe as a fatherly smile crossed his features. Using a bit of magic, the Master set all the complaints on fire before throwing them in Natsu's direction. Not one to pass up a free meal, Natsu jumped after it face first. Once it was a sure thing that Natsu had the burning paper, only then did the address the guild once more.

"Now listen up, you brats! Any power that surpasses reason, still comes from reason! Magic is not some kind of miraculous power! Magic is a talent that can only work that when the magic inside of us synchronizes with the energy that surrounds us in the natural world! It can only be brought about with a strong mind, and the ability to focus, so that it can take over your being and pour out of the soul! How then, can we allow our magic to progress if all we ever do is follow rules!? Don't let those dumbasses on the magic counsel scare you from following the path that you believe in! 'Cuz that's what makes the Fairy Tail Guild number one!" the master said, as he held up his hand in a fist, with his thumb sticking out, and his index finger pointed up at the ceiling.

I wasn't familiar with this sign, but I could tell that it meant a lot to this guild. And if you look at it a certain way, it kind of looks like the guild emblem. Still though, even with the unfamiliar sign Lucy and I would be sure to learn; and despite not having a guild mark yet, I couldn't help but feel like for the first time, Lucy and I were _coming home_.

This was finally our beginning. A fairy tale of two sisters who finally got to join the magic guild of their dreams. All different sorts of friendships and adventures await us now, and I can't wait to get started!

XXX

Next Chapter: Chapter 3 – Guild Life

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Guild Life

Holding up the borrowed mirror in front of my left shoulder, I couldn't help but smile at the ice blue, official Fairy Tail guild mark that now adorned the skin of the front of my left shoulder. Satisfied with my new guild marks location and color, I then moved the strap of my black tank top back into place as I returned the mirror to Mirajane. Or Mira for short. As I went to drop my arms back to my sides though, Lucy wasted no time in latching on to me.

"We did it, Icelynn! We finally got to join Fairy Tail!" Lucy gushed, as she jumped off of me, and ran over to Natsu and Happy to show off the pink mark that was on the back of her right hand.

Shaking my head at my sister's antics with a small smile on my face, I turned to sit down at the bar.

"Oh my, I guess she is really excited to be here, huh?" I heard Mira ask, as I glanced up at her.

"Yeah, she sure is." I agreed, as I looked Lucy's way once more. "We left home about a year ago, traveled around a bit. All while dreaming about joining Fairy Tail." I said, as I faced Mira once more.

"Well, the both of you finally made it here, so… Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Mira said, as she gave me what I could only call a motherly smile. Nodding my head in thanks, Mira turned away to set a mug of beer in front of the master, who had just hopped up on the bar to sit down just a few seats away from me. Once he had it, Mira hurried back over to me with an open notebook.

"Oh, and before I forget. I need to make a note of your and Lucy's magic types for the guild's records. I'll also need to know where you two live in case of emergencies." Mira said, as I hummed in understanding.

"Well, we haven't found a place yet. Luce and I were planning on going to look for one after we joined up with the guild." I answered, as Mira nodded her head in understanding.

"That's alright. When you girls find a place, just let me know the next time you two come to the guild." Mira said, as she made a note.

"Okay. As for our magic, Lucy is a celestial wizard." I said, pausing long enough to give Mira enough time to jot it down. "As for myself, I'm the ice dragon slayer." I finished, as Mira and Master Makarov, who had overheard me; both looked at me in surprise.

"So that makes you like Natsu then? Were you also raised by a dragon?" Master Makarov asked, as I nodded my head _yes_.

"My dragon's name is Storm. He even disappeared like Natsu's dragon, Igneel." I answered, as I looked down at the bar. Studying the pattern in the wood as I fought the feelings of anger and sadness that tried to surface. It was clear that the topic made me really uncomfortable, and thankfully, neither Mira nor the master pressed any further down _that_ road.

"Well, regardless of where you and Lucy came from, you both are welcome here at my guild." Master Makarov told me, as he picked up the mug of beer that sat next to him and took a drink. Smiling at the little old man, I couldn't help but feel grateful.

For the next couple of hours, Lucy and I decided to hang out at our new guild and have lunch while we were there. We were even discussing picking a quick job to make some extra money for apartment shopping, but before we could even get up to go to the request board, I notice as a little boy walks over to where Master Makarov still sat, nursing another beer. Seeing that I was no longer paying attention to what she had been saying, Lucy turned to observe the little boy too.

"How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" the boy asked, as the master sighed heavily, sitting the beer next to him as he did so.

"You're beginning to get on my nerves, Romeo. You're a wizard's son, so you just need to have faith in your father and wait patiently for him to return." He told the boy, _Romeo_.

"But sir," Romeo protested. "He told me that he would be back in three days, but it's been a whole week now!" he said, as Makarov sighed again.

"If memory serves, then he took the job on Mt. Hakobe." Makarov said, as I froze up where I sat.

Mt. Hakobe is a very familiar place to me. That's because it's the mountain where Storm raised me and taught me my magic. The home I abandoned in search of Storm seven years ago. Last I'd heard, Mt. Hakobe had become home to Vulcans. Huge ape like monsters who have the nasty ability of taking over humans to become more powerful. After I was taken in by Lucy's father, I swore I'd never go back to that mountain. The happy memories of the cave I shared with Storm are overshadowed by the horrors of what happened after I left it behind anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I really do want to help that boy out, but the possibility of me becoming frozen over a bad memory is too great for me to be of any help. Even if the kid's dad was still alive, or not taken over by a Vulcan, I could end up getting one or both of us killed that way. Not to mention that Lucy and I only have until tonight to find a place to live. All of the inns and hotels around here were booked up when we got into town anyway.

"That's right! It's not very far from here, so can't you send someone out to go and find him!?" Romeo shouted, becoming desperate.

"Listen kid!" Makarov snapped back at him. "Your father is a wizard, and like all of the others in this guild, he can take care of himself! Now go home, have some milk and cookies, _and wait!_" he told him, as tears welled up in Romeo's eyes.

"_**YOU JERK!**_" Romeo shouted, as he jumped up high enough to punch Makarov in the nose. As the master fell back onto the counter, a few glasses and such hit the floor and shattered. "_**I HATE YOU ALL!**_" Romeo continued to shout, as he turned and ran right back out of the guild.

As he disappeared from sight, everyone close enough to have heard the commotion held a somber expression on their faces. Turning to face the bar again, I took several deep breaths to calm myself. I needed to _chill out_, before I put the entire guild into an early winter after all. Besides, it's not like Makarov was really telling Romeo off. If anything, I'd say that Makarov is also worried about the situation.

Needing to let off a bit of magic, I reached over and grabbed an extra hand towel from behind the bar. Once I had it, I grabbed the glass of water I had been sipping on from lunch and poured a bit into my hand. Stopping just before any of it would spill, I then froze the water solid. I placed the ice cube on the towel and made a couple of duplicates. Once they were made, I folded the towel over, and punched it a couple of times to break the ice up.

When it was done, I slid the ice over to the master. Giving me a silent look of thanks as he crawled back up on the bar, Makarov then placed it on his sore nose.

"Geez, that's got to be tough." I heard Lucy mutter, as she cast a sympathetic look in the direction Romeo had gone.

"I know that the master sounds like he doesn't care, but he really is worried." Mira said, apparently having the same thoughts as I was.

Yet, before she could say anything further, the sound of wood being broken drew all our attentions towards Natsu and the request board.

"What the hell Natsu! Be careful, you almost broke the board!" A tall guy with a skull necklace exclaimed, as Natsu ignored him. Picking up the green backpack he had placed next to the board, Natsu then turned to leave the guild with a determined look on his face, and Happy floating behind him.

Knowing what he was doing, I turned to look back at the job request board, and sure enough there was a hole in it; and in the hole was the job request Natsu and Happy were considering taking before the whole scene with Romeo happened. Upon seeing this, I both felt like kicking myself in the ass, and relieved that at least _someone _was going to go and help the poor kid out.

"This doesn't look good, Master." The man who had been standing at the board with Natsu said, as he moved over to the bar where Makarov sat once again. "You know how he can be. I bet you he's on his way to Mt. Hakobe to save Macao." The big guy said, as another guy sitting close by sighed heavily.

"That kids never going to grow up, is he?" the other guy asked, as the big guy shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows… Either way, he's only going to hurt Macao's pride." The big guy said, as I rolled my eyes at their ignorance.

_Better Macao's pride than his life._ I thought bitterly. Sure, I can understand having pride on being a member of a guild, or a part of a family, or an accomplishment that took a lot of time, blood, sweat, and tears to achieve. However, if you have something you need to live for, you're better off swallowing that pride and doing what needs to be done.

Romeo _is_ something Macao needs to let his pride go in order to live for.

"Remember Nab, we cannot choose another's path. Just let Natsu be." Master Makarov said, naming the big guy, and closing the topic between them.

As they went quiet, Lucy turned back to face the bar and Mira.

"Why did Natsu get so upset like that?" Lucy asked, as I turned back around as well.

"If I didn't know any better, then I'd say that Natsu knows how Romeo feels." I said, as I placed my elbow on the bar, followed by my cheek into my hand.

"Icelynn's right, I'm afraid." Mira said, as she began rearranging some of the bottles of booze that sat on some shelves behind the bar. "I think that Natsu sees himself in Romeo. His father also left and didn't come back. Well, technically, it wasn't his real father, but the one who raised him." She continued, as I perked up a bit at that.

"You mean Natsu's dragon, Igneel?" I asked, as Mira turned around to face us.

"Yes… Seeing as Natsu is the one who brought you and Lucy to the guild, I guess he already told you about him; seeing as you're a fellow dragon slayer, of course." Mira said, as I nodded my head once. "And from what you said earlier, I think you can also understand Romeo's situation about as well as Natsu."

"Oh yeah, your dragon disappeared on you too, didn't he Icelynn?" Lucy asked, as I nodded my head _yes_ again.

"He did. Seven years ago." I answered, as I looked away from Lucy's and Mira's sympathetic eyes. "However, unlike Natsu, I haven't spent the entire time looking for Storm either. I did at first of course, but after a while, I said _to hell with it_ and stopped looking. To me, if Storm wants to bring his scaly hide back, then he can go through the trouble of tracking _me_ down. If anything, it'll teach him to at least leave a note the next time he disappears." I said, as I felt a bit of anger rise within me.

It was short lived though, as I fought to make myself neutral to the whole thing, instead of giving way to the anger and sadness the subject usually brought up. Besides, Storm could have been forced to leave me for some reason. Whatever sort of reason it might have been, I have no way of knowing what it is until I do see him again.

Feeling a bit better about the whole thing again, I then turned to see Lucy eyeing the door wistfully. Although Jude didn't disappear on her, he still wasn't there for Lucy. Always letting the Heartfilia Railway have headway over his daughter, and me, his ward. When he was around, he was always belittling us for not studying the various languages he required us to learn, or the etiquette of business, and how to keep a mansion and estate's day to day operations running smoothly all while keeping the mannerisms of a noble lady.

According to Lucy though, before the death of her mother, Jude wasn't anything like how I know him. Back before Miss. Layla Heartfilia passed, Jude was an actual father to Lucy. He doted on her and her mother and made time to spend with them away from his work. The day he changed, it was as if the Jude Lucy knew as her father had just up and abandoned her.

"If you want to catch up to Natsu, you might want to grab a coat and head out now." I told Lucy, as she turned to look at me confused.

"Wait, are you sure Ice? We still haven't found a place to live yet, and we only have a few hours of day light left." Lucy said, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'll worry about that. A big town like this should have a lost item job or a runaway brat I can track down within a day. Just be careful, will you? Oh, and stick by Natsu so you don't get lost. The blizzards that mountain gets would even get Pyxis lost." I warned her, as Lucy nodded her head once.

"Got it. Do you mind if I leave my stuff with you?" Lucy asked, as I nodded my head once.

"Sure. When you get back to town, meet me back here at the guild." I told her, as Lucy gave me an _okay_. Waving bye to me, Lucy then hurried out of the guild doors.

Once she was gone, I hopped up off the stool I'd been occupying for a while now and got ready to head over to the board. However, I found myself pausing when I saw the thoughtful expression Mira had on her face.

"You know, I'm surprised you didn't go with them." Mira said, as I looked at the guild doors again. "How do you know so much about Mt. Hakobe anyway?" she asked me, as I turned to look back at her.

"It's the place Storm raised me." I began, as I looked away. "And the place Storm left me behind." I answered, as I began making my way to the request board.

At this, Mira let me go wordlessly. To which I was grateful for.

Looking the job request board up and down, I was impressed by just how many different types of jobs a wizard guild could be petitioned for. Monster slaying, bandit and minor dark guild take downs, book translating. Hell, there were even jobs you could easily complete without really having to use magic in the first place.

It took me a few minutes, but I was able to find a job like I was looking for. It read:

_FIND LOST ITEM_

_100,000J_

_For any wizard who is able to locate the antique locket that belongs to the wife of the mayor of Magnolia. Head to city hall to speak with the mayor to accept this job, and to collect the reward money once the locket has been found and delivered to the mayor himself._

_Please Note: The mayor's office is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM._

Without a second thought, I took it off the board, and walked back over to the bar where the master still sat. Back behind him was Mira.

"Okay, so how does taking a job work?" I asked them, as Mira patted the top of the bar that sat next to the master. Taking it as asking me to place it down, I did just that. As I did so, both master and Mira both took a quick look at it. Giving a nod, then watched as Mira reached beneath the bar for what looked like a stamp.

Stamping the page, she left behind a small red Fairy Tail emblem with a circle around it, and the word _ACCEPTED_ just below it.

"There you go, your first job as a member." Mira said, as she put the stamp away. "Usually, the master of a guild would approve and stamp it. However, seeing as the master is rather lazy at times or just not here; and being a former S-Class wizard, I'm able to handle it for him." Mira explained, as I saw the master flinch at being called lazy from the corner of my eye.

_Then again, this crazy guild, I'm not entirely surprised that this happens._ I thought with slight amusement.

"S-Class wizard, huh?" I said, feeling a bit intrigued as to how Mirajane went from being an S-Class wizard to the guild's bar maid and bikini model for Sorcerer Weekly.

"It's just how things worked out." Mira answered, as a faraway look entered her eyes.

Taking that as my cue to shut up, I picked up the job request from the bar.

"Oh, and you can leave you and your sister's bags at the guild while you go out and do your job and find a place. I'll just keep them back behind the bar with me. The guild hall stays open rather late." Mira offered, as I grabbed the bags to hand over the bar.

Muttering a thanks in her direction, I then turned and headed out of the guild myself. According to the lacrima clock that sat above the bar, it was already 2:30, so I've got about four hours to meet the client, get the job done, and turn it in.

XXX

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly as I made my way back towards Fairy Tail. That lost item job only took me about forty-five minutes to complete. Turns out that the mayor's granddaughter had taken the locket to play with outside in their garden and dropped it as she got up to chase after a butterfly. Luckily for me, it was easy to follow the scent of the mayor's wife and grand baby to where it was located since it hasn't rained in the last couple of days.

Mrs. Mayor was happy to get it back too. Apparently, it was a family heirloom from her husband's side of the family. Given to her mere hours before she married the man by her future mother in law.

That was a few hours ago though. What I just came from was the apartment I was able to snag off the market. It was small, and the land lady seemed to be on the stern side, but it was an affordable place for seventy thousand jewel a month. Funny considering that the job I just finished gained me a hundred thousand jewel, leaving Lucy and I thirty thousand to spare. Which was nice, considering I'm going to have to buy another bed to go into the apartment. Not to mention sheets both for the new one, and the one that came with the place.

Lucy and I can go shopping for that later though. It's not like Lucy and I didn't have our own blankets we can use for tonight; and I have no problems sleeping in the standing freezer that sits next to the refrigerator. To be honest, I was rather giddy about being able to for once. Back on the Heartfilia estate, it was a rare thing indeed. The estate had a nice big walk in freezer too, big enough to house all sorts of things for the galas and parties Jude would hold from time to time. It was a crying shame that Jude ordered to have it locked up tight when no one was getting something from it or restocking it.

If only I hadn't let myself sleep longer than usual, I'd never have been caught…

_On that note, I'd better swing by a store and pick up some plastic wrap. Especially seeing as Lucy's going to want to use it to stock up on food._ I thought, as I added it to my mental check list of things to do.

By this time, I had finally reached the upper level of Magnolia, where the guild hall sits high on top of the town. Turning back around, I looked out over Magnolia as the golden rays of the sunset bathed everything in sight. Even Kardia Cathedral shone brightly in the light. Taking a deep breath, I pause as a slightly familiar scent reaches me. Looking back at the stairs I had just climbed to get up here, I saw that the little boy, Romeo, sat on the opposite side I had been on. He had his arms wrapped around his knees, and his face buried in his arms. The poor kid didn't make a sound, but I could still smell the salt of his tears as he cried.

Feeling a pang in my heart, I tried to think of what I could say to him. Finding the task of looking for words to be too tricky and worrisome, I sighed once more as I walked back down the steps towards him. Romeo didn't notice my approach until my shadow fell over him. Wiping his eyes, only then did Romeo look up at me.

"You're that lady that just joined up with the yellow haired lady, aren't you?" He asked me, as I nodded my head once. Walking down two or three more steps, I sat down next to the boy.

"I sure am. I'm Icelynn, you're Romeo, Macao's kid." I said, as Romeo nodded his head, only to look away afterwards as more tears began to pool in his eyes.

"So, what are you doing all the way out here?" Romeo asked me, as I rested my elbows on my knees.

"I was on my way back to the guild, but you looked so lonely that I thought I'd keep you company for a bit." I answered him, as Romeo turned to look at me with confusion.

"Why would you even bother?" Romeo asked, as he looked back at the part of the town that sat below us. "My dad has been gone for a long time, and it's probably still going to be a long time before he comes back home. I know that the master said to go home and wait for him, but I don't want to go back to that empty house. It seems like Natsu and Happy are the only ones out of Fairy Tail that cares." He said, as I listened patiently.

Giving Romeo a thoughtful look, I then looked up at the sky.

"Romeo, do you know why Master Makarov told you what he did?" I asked him, as I saw Romeo shake his head no from the corner of my eye.

"No. He's said about the same thing each time I've asked him since the three-day mark passed." Romeo answered me.

"I see what you're saying. However, do you want to hear about how I see things?" I asked him. At Romeo's nod, I continued. "Well, from what I noticed today, Master Makarov sees the members of Fairy Tail not just as family, but as if they were his own children." I told him, as Romeo's confused expression came back.

"Wait, if he sees the members as his kids, then why hasn't he sent someone after my dad?" Romeo asked.

"Only Master Makarov can answer that one for you. However, if you look at this whole situation from a different angle, you can kind of speculate it." I said, as Romeo tilted his head to the side.

"How so?" He asked me.

"Well. Did your father tell you what job he took?" I asked Romeo, who nodded his head once.

"He went to Mt. Hakobe to slay some monsters." Romeo answered, as I nodded my head once to show that I understood him. "Some of the other kids around town were teasing me about how my dad just sits around at the guild all day. I begged him to take a job to help make the teasing stop, and the vulcan job is the one that my dad picked. With how long he's been gone, I shouldn't have begged him to go."

"Romeo, you know that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach right now. The worry?" I asked him once more, getting another nod of yes from him. "That's more than likely how the master feels every time one of our members goes out on a risky or dangerous job. Or is gone longer than planned without contacting the guild." I told him, as Romeo looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Really?" He asked me, as I nodded my head yes, this time.

"I'd bet money on it, although I doubt Master Makarov would ever admit it." I answered. "However, despite all this worry, he tries his best to have faith in us. Faith that we will return to our family at Fairy Tail, and to our own families. It's because that he is guild master, that he has to feel this way about all of the members, and not just one of them. As master, it's his job to also help grow and guide his members along their own paths. Just like how your dad's chosen path was to take that job for you; or how Natsu chose his own path that's taking him up to Mt. Hakobe to check on him for you. It's also how my own sister, Lucy the yellow haired lady, chose to tag along with Natsu and Happy to help them out.

Right now, at this moment, Master Makarov has faith that those four can take care of themselves and come back home. Besides, your father has even more incentive to come home than anyone else, do you know why?" I asked Romeo, who shook his head no. "It's because the most important thing to your father is sitting right next to me right now. That's how I know that your father will come home to you. Even if he did end up needing Natsu and Lucy's help." I explained to him.

Taking a few moments to let my words sink in, Romeo then gave me a big smile. Hopping up on his feet, Romeo then latched his little arms around my neck to give me a hug. Not expecting the kid to go that far, I wasn't sure what to do for a moment. Resolving to gently pat his back a couple of times, I waited for the brat to let go of me. Once he did, he wiped the lingering tears from his eyes as he sat back beside me.

"Thank you for talking to me Miss. Icelynn. And for helping me understand." He thanked me, as I gave him a cringing smile.

"You're welcome kid but lay off the _miss _part please. Icelynn is just fine." I told him, as a gentle breeze began blowing past us. However, on it were three very familiar scents, and one that smells almost like the boy who sits beside me.

Looking down the steps, I spotted Natsu helping a slightly taller man in a white coat walk towards us. Beside him walked Lucy, who had Happy floating about shoulder high beside her. Noticing that I was no longer looking at him, Romeo looked up at me, then in the direction I was looking. The moment he did though, and saw the man Natsu was helping, Romeo shot off like a bullet before Natsu could even call out his name.

"_DAD!_" Romeo shouted, as he tackled his father to the ground. Cringing a bit at the aches and pains the guy I'm guessing is Macao, will have later in addition to the ones he currently has, I got up to head back down the steps myself. Making my way back over towards Lucy, I couldn't help but smile at the reunion of the father and son before me.

"Daddy, you came back! I'm so sorry!" Romeo cried, as he clung to his father who hugged his son back.

"No buddy, _I'm sorry_ for making you worry so much." Macao said, as he pulled Romeo away from him just enough to look at his face.

"I can handle it! Because I'm a wizard's son!" Romeo declared, as I felt tears of my own beginning to burn behind my eyes.

"The next time those bullies tease you, here's what I want you to say." Macao told Romeo, as I noticed Natsu turn to start walking away, feeling like his job was now done. However, he didn't turn fast enough for me to miss the far away look he had in his eyes. He too felt pent up emotions of both happy and sad in this moment as well it would seem. "_Can your dad defeat nineteen monsters, because mine can?_ Can you do that for me?" Macao asked, as I turned to follow suit, Happy and Lucy falling into place with us as Romeo nodded his head yes.

We only made it a few feet away though, before Romeo called to us.

"Natsu! Happy! Thanks for your help!" Romeo shouted. "Lucy! Thanks for bringing my daddy back to me!" he thanked the three walking with me. Hearing him, Lucy turned around long enough to wave back at the boy. "Icelynn! Thank you for waiting with me!" Romeo shouted at my back. Looking over my shoulder, I gave him a big smile of my own as Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and I made our way back to the guild.

XXX

_Dear Storm,_

_ Today was a crazy first day of being a member of Fairy Tail, but everything worked out in the end. I was even able to complete my first solo job with success. Too bad I couldn't have done it with Lucy. While I did this job to get us some extra money to buy us an apartment, Lucy went with Natsu and Happy to look for one of the older members of the guild. His name is Macao, and he took on the job of slaying the very vulcans who had taken our home on Mt. Hakobe for their territory. This job came to my attention in the guild today when Macao's son, Romeo came to the guild to try and get Master Makarov to send someone to find his father; who had been gone for over a week at this point. _

_ To be honest, I wanted to go, but I can't bring myself to go back home. Not after you leaving, and what transpired after I left home to try and find you._

_ Anyway, Macao managed to slay nineteen of the monsters before the last one managed to take him over. Natsu had to rough him up a bit to exorcise the vulcan from Macao's body, but he was able to reverse the takeover. While this was going on, I kept Romeo company while we waited. I even helped him come to understand why the master told him to go home, wait, and to have faith in his father. Romeo was so happy when he saw his father again. He even echoed what Master Makarov had told him earlier in the guild, so I know what he learned today went to heart. _

_ After that, I went with Lucy, Natsu, and Happy back to the guild to grab my and Lucy's things before I guided her to the new home I had found after I completed my job. Tomorrow, Lucy and I need to go shopping so I can have my own bed, and to get Lucy some proper sheets for the bed she's going to be taking. Lucky for me, I get to sleep in our empty freezer tonight. I really can't wait to be honest. It's been so long since I could last get a good night's sleep in a freezing environment. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind sleeping in a bed, but every once in a while, I do need to sleep in sub-zero temperatures. Then again, you already know that. Whenever I got sick as a kid and got a fever, putting me in colder temperatures was the only thing you could do to help me recover. _

_ Well, I'm off to bed. Lucy and I have some errands to run over the next few days in order for us to move in. After that, we need to go on another job. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to try and get ahead on our rent. Hence the life of being in a guild I suppose. I'll write to you later, Storm._

_With love, _

_Icelynn._

XXX

Over the next week, Lucy and I finished moving into the apartment I had found us. We were even able to find me a decent bed for an okay price, along with the sheets Lucy and I wanted to get as well. Between the two of us, we really didn't have that much to unpack and put away. Whatever we didn't have though, we also had to go out and buy. Still, it was nice to finally have somewhere Lucy and I could call home, and with a guild that treated its members like family. This was our fresh start, and we're finally living it.

It was with this thought in mind that I opened my eyes to the early morning light that streamed through the window that sat above my sister's sleeping form. Giving my body a nice stretch, I then flipped the dark blue covers off my body to get up and start the day.

Seeing as Lucy was still fast asleep, I took the first turn in the shower. It didn't take me long to get clean, and before I knew it, I had dried myself off, and dressed in my normal street clothes. A solid black tank top, dark blue jeans with the brown belt I wore with them, and my brown knee-high leather boots. Lucy and I were planning on going to the guild to look for us another job today. A job we also planned on heading out tomorrow to complete. Otherwise, I'd have chosen to wear something a little different.

Now finished with the bathroom, I threw my night clothes into the hamper before heading back out into the main room. Soon as I pass through the curtain, I step to the side so that Lucy can get by me on her way to the bathroom.

"Morning." She mumbled, as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Morning." I replied, as Lucy disappears into the bathroom to get ready for the day herself.

Giving myself one more stretch, I then make my way into the kitchen to begin making a quick breakfast for Lucy and me before we head out. Sausage and cheese omelets with some spinach would do nicely. While I was in the process of getting the ingredients prepared, I heard the window in the main room slide open.

_Okay, either we have a poltergeist, or Lucy took an unusually quick bath._ I thought suspiciously, as I went completely still, and opened my senses. Soon enough, I smell a cat, and an ashy dragon smell. There were only two people that would come uninvited into my and Lucy's place smelling like that.

_Well, more like a dragon slayer and his cat_. I thought a little sourly, as I went back to the fridge to pull out extra ingredients for my sudden guests. I can only hope that Natsu and Happy don't make too much of a mess until I get the food ready. Heaven above only knows how much patience I'm going to need once Lucy discovers them here.

"_WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY BEDROOM!_" I heard Lucy suddenly shout, followed by a loud bang on the wall as I poured the egg mixture, I had finished making into the fry pan I had heated up on the stove with some butter. Sighing heavily, I listened in on the conversation in the other room while I worked on making the omelets.

"Get the hell out of here you jerks!" Lucy shouted again, as I heard the three shifting around.

"Jeez Lucy, we just came over to check out your and Icelynn's new pad." I heard Natsu explain, as Happy gave Lucy a rather sore sounding _aye_.

"Natsu, when you want to _check out_ a friends place, you ask them before you come over and _barge in_! Or _breaking and entering_ as the rune knights would call it!" Lucy lectured them.

"Come on, we were just trying to be friendly." Natsu muttered, sounding a little nervous.

Chuckling in amusement, I finished making the last of the egg mixture into several omelets. Turning off the stove, I reached back into the cabinets for four plates. Stacking them up, I placed the serving plate on top of them before placing them on a tray. Once I was sure they weren't going anywhere, I grabbed enough silver ware for everyone before taking it out to the main room.

"This is a nice place you and Icelynn have here." I heard Happy say, as I spotted him extending his claws, and inching towards the wall.

"Thanks for the compliment Happy, but if you so much as touch that wall, I'll declaw you." I told the little blue cat. Hearing the cold threat in my voice, the little cat withdrew his claws from the wall in the blink of an eye with a nervous chuckle of his own.

"Oh, hey Icelynn! Wow, you have food!" Natsu greeted me, as his mouth began to drool at the sight and smell of the omelets. Now that the issue of the clawing of the apartment walls was settled, I continued my way to the table to set the tray of omelets down.

"I made enough for everyone, so come get a plate you two before it gets cold." I told them, as they wasted no time in moving to the table.

"Wait a minute, did you invite them in Icelynn?" Lucy asked me, as I turned to see her still in a towel.

"No. They came in through the window of their own accord. I just recognized their scents from the kitchen and made enough to accommodate them." I answered, as I looked back at the table; and just like the restaurant back in Hargeon, the two were eating like food was going out of style. "Speaking of which, I think you'd better go and get dressed before the boys eat it all." I told Lucy, who turned to look at our table as well. Seeing the rate that they were eating, she let out a small squeak before rushing over to her dresser and pulling out the first matching outfit she could find, then race to the bathroom to get dressed.

Luckily for Lucy, she was able to make it back to the table in time to claim the last omelet for herself. Once we were all finished eating, Lucy took the dishes to the kitchen, and brought back a tray full of tea. Not before she ended up kicking Natsu in the face for finding and reading the secret novel Lucy was writing though. Once everything had settled down, Lucy began to give Natsu and Happy a pointed look.

"Look, Icelynn and I just moved in, and we're not exactly ready for guests yet. So, just drink your tea, thank us, and get out of here please." Lucy asked them, as Natsu gave her a pouty look. Getting the feeling that this might not end well, I slowly sipped on my much cooler tea.

"Wow, you're so cold-hearted Lucy." Natsu said, dejectedly.

"Yeah, real icy." Happy agreed, as Lucy let out an annoyed huff.

"Watch it you two." Lucy warned, as Natsu suddenly got excited.

"Wait, can you show Happy and me those key guys you like to collect?" Natsu asked, as Lucy narrowed her eyes at him.

"For starters, they're called _Celestial Spirits_." Lucy corrected, as Happy held up one of his paws.

"How many of them do you have so far?" he asked, as Lucy reached into her pocket to pull out her key ring.

"I'm contracted to seven so far." Lucy answered, as she pulled the keys off the key ring to lay them out across the table to show happy. "These silver keys are the ones you can buy in the magic shops. So far, I have (I know she doesn't say Pyxis, but I don't remember watching or it being mentioned where Pyxis comes from, so I included him here.) Pyxis the Compass, Horologium the Clock, Crux the Southern Cross, and Lyra the Harp. My gold keys on the other hand, are rare and very hard to come by. I have three of them, Taurus the Golden Bull, Aquarius the Water Bearer, and Cancer the Giant Crab. These three along with the other nine out there open the gates of the Zodiac spirits." Lucy explained, only to pause when she noticed the drool on Natsu and Happy's faces at the mention of Cancer the _Giant Crab_.

"Giant crab!" Natsu shouted, standing from his chair while Happy stood on the table.

"Giant crab legs!" He shouted, as I rolled my eyes.

"I swear, you two are completely obsessed with food." I told them, only to be ignored in favor of the thought of a delicious dish of buttery crab legs.

"Oh wait, that reminds me." Lucy said, as she hopped up from her own seat to go to her dresser. Pulling open the top drawer, she pulled out the box I remember her buying in Hargeon. "I almost forgot that I bought this. I still need to make a contract with this key. That being said, do you guys want to see how it's done?" Lucy asked Natsu and Happy, who nodded their heads yes curiously.

"Alright then, pay attention." Lucy instructed, opening the box and pulling out her newest silver key as I began gathering up the now empty teacups back onto the tray Lucy had brought them in on. I'd seen her do this about six out of the seven times she's contracted a spirit. By the time I had met her, Lucy had already made a contract with Aquarius.

"_I call upon thee in the world of the celestial spirits! I beckon you to my side at once, pass through the gate!_" Lucy chanted, as the scent of her celestial magic increased throughout the room. "_Open, the gate of Canis Minor: Nikola!_" she said, as a little trembling snow man spirit appeared before her.

I had to admit though; he sure didn't look anything like a dog. Still, despite being weird looking, the little guy was still cute. As for Happy and Natsu on the other hand, they looked a little stunned, and not in the good way. It took them a moment to snap out of it, but when they did, they both simultaneously gave Lucy a sympathetic look.

"Nice try." They said in unison, as Lucy glared at them.

"Shut up! I did that on purpose!" she snapped at them, as she tucked her annoyed face away to look at her new spirit. Squeaking at how cute she found him to be, Lucy wasted no time in squatting down to hug the little guy to her chest and rub her cheek against the top of its head. "He's such a cutie!" she said, as Natsu gave them a slightly weirded out stare.

"Is that right?" Natsu muttered, as Lucy looked up from her spirit.

"Well, yes. These little guys don't require a lot of magical power to get them through the gates, or to hold the gate open for them. It's because of this that a lot of celestial wizards keep them as pets." Lucy said, as she continued to cuddle the little dog spirit.

While she did that, Happy floated up as high as Natsu's ear and held up a paw to whisper loudly into said ear.

"This whole _pet _thing doesn't really sit well with me." Happy said, as Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Especially with a weird master like Loony." He said, as my sister looked up from her new spirit to give the two the stink eye.

"I think you guys better start using _Lucy_ instead of _Loony_ before she decides to kick you into the wall again." I told them, as I then gave them a pointed look. "And you do realize that she can hear you two, you know."

At this, Natsu and Happy both could only shrug their shoulders in indifference.

_Their funeral, I suppose._ I thought, beginning to feel a bit indifferent about the whole thing myself. Luckily for them though, Lucy just began to ignore them as well.

"Well, lets work out our contract." Lucy said, addressing the little snow man doggie spirit. Pulling out a notepad and pen from the same drawer she had pulled the key from. "Are you free on Mondays?" she asked him, as the little guy shook his head no. Lucy went on throughout every day of the week until the little guy had answered for each day. When they finished, Lucy closed her note pad and tucked it back into the safety of her top dresser drawer before shutting it again.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Happy just finished their own tea with a very bored expression on their faces.

"Alright, that just about does it." Lucy said, as she squatted back down to address the little spirit.

"Wow, that was really easy." Natsu said, as Happy gave an _aye_ in agreement.

"I know that it seems silly to others, but the initial contract between a celestial wizard and their spirit is really important. It's a bond formed between the two that's based off the promise that they made. Due to this, I make a point to keep all of my promises." Lucy explained, as Natsu and Happy nodded to show that they understood. "And now that, that's settled, I need to come up with a name." Lucy said, as Happy got a confused expression on his face.

"Wait, I thought his name was _Nikola_?" Happy asked.

"I'm not a celestial spirit or anything, but I think that's the little guy's species." I answered for Lucy, who nodded her head in agreement.

"Icelynn's right. From what I've read in books, there's a lot of gate keys for the little dog spirits out there. So, I think a name would be beneficial in case I were to run into any other celestial wizards out on a job or something who also has the same kind of key." Lucy said, as she put a finger to her chin in thought. "Oh wait, I know!" she suddenly said, as she held her arms out towards the spirit.

"Come here, Plue." Lucy called to the little spirit sweetly.

Upon hearing his new name, _Plue_ tilted his head to the side for a moment before he then went to Lucy's awaiting arms. Apparently, the name Plue was alright with him.

"_Plue_, huh?" I heard Happy echo, as Natsu gave Lucy and Plue an odd look.

"Are you sure he's cool with that?" Natsu asked, as Lucy gave him a confused look of her own.

"Well, if he hadn't been cool with me calling him that, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have come to me." Lucy answered, giving Natsu a pretty logical answer.

Giving Lucy one more cuddle, Plue suddenly jumped out of her arms to run and stand in front of Natsu to do a little excited dance of some sort. Making what sounded like _pun pun_ noises at the fire dragon slayer.

"What on earth is he doing?" Lucy asked, as we all looked at him in confusion.

After a moment, Natsu gave Plue a smile and a thumbs up.

"Oh, man. You're right about that Plue!" he said, as I felt my jaw drop. Looking over at Lucy, I could see that she also wore the same expression.

"_You_ can understand Plue?" I asked him, only to be ignored once again in favor of Natsu giving Lucy a serious stare. After a moment, Natsu turned to give me the same look for another moment before turning back to Lucy.

"Okay, what's your deal Natsu?" Lucy asked him. At her question, Natsu finally dropped the serious stare to give Lucy, Plue, and I that goofy grin of his.

"Alright, it's settled then. You three are going to be a part of our team." Natsu declared, as I lifted an eyebrow in confusion at this fast pace creation of a team Natsu was talking about.

"A part of your team?" Lucy echoed, as Happy hovered a little higher in the air.

"Aye. Even though everyone in the guild is allied to each other, some members who get along really well form teams in order to complete jobs that are too hard to take on alone." Happy explained, as Lucy gave the two an excited smile.

_Hmm. Makes sense. It would also cut down on the risk of death if someone on the team would get hurt._ I thought, as I considered being on a team with Natsu and Happy.

"That's so cool!" Lucy exclaimed, as she turned to look my way. "What do you think Icelynn, do you want to form a team with them?" Lucy asked me, as I tilted my head to the side.

_Well, we did work pretty well together in Hargeon. Despite being sea-sick, and destroying half of the port…_ I continued to think, as I felt a bit uneasy on the department of destruction. _Speaking of which, I'd better think of another way Lucy and I can get a steady source of income. If Natsu's destructive ways in Hargeon are a by product of him working jobs, then the rewards are bound to be constantly cut or revoked to pay for damages. Maybe I can take an extra job I can do solo. Lucy might not like it, but from what I've seen so far, Natsu likes to get a rise out of her. So, I could make her my 'Natsu Bait'._ _Not to mention the extra experience doing that would give me…_ I thought, considering the offer. In the end, I couldn't help but return Lucy's excited smile.

"Why not. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun to me." I answered, secretly smiling at the look I know Lucy's going to make when she finds out my plans for her in the future.

"Well, since Icelynn's in, so am I." Lucy told Natsu, as the two made up their own friend handshake of some sort. Thankfully for my own sanity, Natsu just held up his hand for a high five. Returning it, Natsu turned back around to give Lucy a toothy grin that I recognized from the first day Lucy and I went to the Fairy Tail guild hall. The one he wore when he started that brawl. The look of _trouble_…

"Cool! So, you girls are going to work with us?" Natsu clarified, as Lucy nodded her head yes.

"Yep! You have my word." Lucy agreed, as I felt myself cringe a bit.

_Oh, shit. Lucy took the bait…_ I thought, becoming worried. Only to have my feelings increase when I saw Natsu pull a job request with a familiar approved stamp from his back pocket.

"Alright team, its time for us to get to work, and I already have our very first job!" Natsu declared, as he held the job request out to Lucy.

"Really. Let me see what you got there." Lucy said, as she took the job request from Natsu. Quickly reading through it, I watched as Lucy's eyes sparkled a bit. Probably at the reward amount if I had to guess.

However, as her eyes approached the bottom of the page, her eyes went from sparkling to horrified. Not feeling particularly fond of that look on her face, I rose from my chair to go over to my sister. Sensing my approach, Lucy simply held the job request out for me to take. Taking it from her, I quickly read over it.

_I Hope Please._

_ This request is to steal a book from the Duke Everlue of Shirotsume. We will handsomely reward the wizard who takes and completes this job. Please head to the address below to accept the job and claim the reward of 200,000J._

_ Please Note: Duke Everlue is a perverted old man looking to hire a blonde maid._

On the upper left half of the request held a picture of a squat man with a mustache growing from his nose. A star on the bottom of the picture indicated the man to be this perverted Duke Everlue.

In that moment, it became really clear as to why Natsu had baited Lucy into forming a team and promising to work with him and Happy. It was because Lucy was a perfect fit for the description of the maid this duke was looking to hire. The clever little bastard already had a plan in place, and even managed to get Lucy to word her promise in such a way that even I can't back out of this job. He did include the both of us in his original question after all.

"We know some one with blonde hair, don't we?" Natsu mockingly asked, as he and Happy shared little evil smiles.

"Yep. And I bet we can even find her a maid's uniform. If we find a blonde wig and an extra uniform, Icelynn would be able to get in too." Happy said, as I narrowed my eyes at the two.

"You sneaky little… _YOU TRICKED ME! THAT'S NOT FAIR!_" Lucy freaked, as Natsu just waved her whining off.

"Good thing celestial wizards never go back on their word. Looks like you two are stuck with us." Natsu said, as I turned a droll stare his way. At his words, Lucy became stuck beneath her own little dark cloud.

"But you tricked me!" Lucy protested, as Natsu turned to face her once more with that same toothy grin of his.

"Oh, lighten up a bit, won't ya Lucy. Now why don't you two try getting into character and address Happy as your master." Natsu said, as he pointed to his little buddy.

"No way!" Lucy refused, as Natsu looked my way to see if I would follow his suggestion. Giving him a look telling him exactly what I thought of doing that, I watched with satisfaction as Natsu began to look a bit nervous.

"_Clever pyromaniac bastard_." I muttered under my breath, as I went to sit back down at the table. Laying the job request out on its surface.

"Alright, seeing as Lucy and I are in due to a _celestial promise_…" I stressed, as I gave Lucy a pointed look for not choosing her words carefully. "How about we all meet up at the train station tomorrow at Nine AM and take it as far as Onibus. Then take a carriage the rest of the way to Shirotsume." I suggested, as I looked at my other team-mates.

At the very mention of the train, Natsu began to get a green look about him. It only ended up getting worse when I mentioned taking a carriage in addition.

"Or we could just walk?" Natsu countered, as Lucy nervously grabbed the trash can from the bathroom and placed it beside the queasy dragon slayer.

Giving him a little evil smile of my own, I shook my head no at my new team-mate.

"I guess you should have thought about that before tricking Lucy into giving her word that the two of us would work with you." I told him, as Natsu gave me a look telling me how evil he thought I was. Waving it off, I picked up the job request again to see if there was a time limit. "Well, now that, that's settled, why don't you two go home and make sure you've got everything packed." I suggested, as Natsu and Happy had a small silent conversation. After a few moments, they nodded at each other before they began making their way to the window they had entered earlier.

"She's got us there on that one, little buddy. We need to make sure we have enough stuff for the trip." Natsu said, as Happy gave him an _aye_ in agreement.

Without another word, or so much as a goodbye, the two exited the apartment through the window.

"Geez! Learn to use a door you two!" Lucy called after them, as she ran to the window. Letting out an angry huff, Lucy closed the window before turning to sit on her bed with her arms crossed in her annoyance.

"I can't believe those jerks." Lucy said, as I looked up at her from my chair.

"Devious jerks at that." I agreed, as I dropped the job request once more. "However, it's a pretty decent job from the looks of it. My one concern his how destructive Natsu is going to be."

"Can't argue with you there." Lucy said, as she flopped herself back on her bed. "I think I'm just going to take it easy today, maybe work on my novel some more. What are you planning on doing for the rest of the day Icelynn?" Lucy asked me, as I got up from my chair at the table.

"I'm thinking about heading for the guild to pick out a secondary job. Just in case Shirotsume ends up like Hargeon." I answered, as I turned to head for the door.

"That's not a bad idea, but I'll probably just be ready to come home to take a break after dealing with Natsu and his cat for an entire day or two." Lucy answered. "Or who knows, maybe I'll come along just to get away from those two."

Chuckling at my sister's spoken thoughts, I made my way for the door.

"Whatever floats your boat. I'll see you later Luce." I told her, as Lucy waved bye at me from where she still laid on her pink comforter. Leaving through the door this time, I made my way towards the guild hall.

Thinking back on how the day started, I couldn't help but feel that guild life so far has suited me and Lucy pretty well. We may have only had once job between the two of us, but Fairy Tail still seems awesome. I can only hope that Lucy and I will be able to continue making our own place in the family Fairy Tail has created…

XXX

Next Chapter: Chapter 4 – Daybreak

XXX


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Daybreak

Looking over the secondary job request I picked up from the guild yesterday, I read through everything once more.

_Help Track Runaway_

_Twelve-year-old boy from Oshibana has run away from home. This request comes from the Swan family, a non-magical family who adopted the boy. Its speculated that the boy took off after developing a magical ability, then as a result of asking his parents where it could have originated from; found out about his adoption. It's due to the boy being a mage that this request has been put out to the wizarding guilds, seeing as any prior attempt to bring the boy home has failed._

Below that had the address, and beneath that stated that this job had a 150,000J reward to it. According to Mira, the boy has been living in the woods surrounding Oshibana since he ran away and hasn't shown any signs of trying to run away any further than that. I know that usually jobs like this are time sensitive, but if the boy isn't going anywhere, and is constantly avoiding being captured; I know he will be alright on his own, and I'll be able to help Lucy and Natsu with the Everlue job like I had been promised to do before heading to Oshibana.

Besides, maybe the time in between now and when I get there will be enough for the kid to process everything that he'd been bomb shelled with.

"Icelynn, are you sure you don't want to head to Oshibana first? I'm sure that boy's parents must miss him terribly." Lucy asked from where she sat next to me in the back of the carriage we rode in with Happy and a very sickly Natsu. Whom she had been teasingly talking to like she was his personal maid. Much to Happy's dislike.

"No doubt that they do, but I'm sure. This brat probably just needs some time to come to terms with how he came to be with his family. Doing this Everlue job with you, Natsu, and Happy will give him just that. We'll end up having to part ways in Shirotsume though. I don't want an overzealous Natsu to upset the kid any more than what he already is. Not to mention Happy and his smart mouth might just make things worse too." I answered, as Lucy hummed in agreement, while Happy yelled _hey_ in protest. Only to go back to poking Natsu in the face to make sure he was still alive.

"You've got a point there. I'd love to tag along with you, but I guess someone needs to make sure Natsu gets off the train at the right place. Motion sickness really sucks, doesn't it?" Lucy asked, as I gave her a sour look.

"Oh, you have no idea Luce." I said, as Lucy and I went silent. We stayed that way the rest of the way to Shirotsume. The moment the carriage stopped, Natsu dived right between Lucy and I just to get off the ride from hell. All Lucy and I could do was sit back in our seats to get out of the green fire breather's way before he could barf on either of us. When we were in the all clear, Lucy and I turned to get our bags while Natsu continuously kissed the ground outside.

Once she had her things, Lucy hopped out of the carriage, and I followed suit, while Happy made sure to float Natsu's bag out before it could be whisked away to some unknown location.

"I swear, that's the last time I ride one of those damn things." Natsu muttered, as he shrugged his bag on his back, and the four of us began walking down the main street of Shirotsume.

"You say that every time." Happy said, as Natsu then decided to mutter how starved he was.

"Wait, can't you just eat your own fire if you're hungry?" Lucy asked Natsu, as he glanced her way, then turned a droll stare back to the road.

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea, why don't you eat that cow of yours, or Plue while we're at it." Natsu answered sarcastically, while Lucy looked thoroughly creeped out.

"Wait, why would I do that!?" she shrieked, as Natsu kept focusing on putting one foot in front of the other while his normal color returned to his face.

"Dragon slayers can only eat their element if it comes from an outside source, Lucy." I explained to my sister, as she glanced my way.

"So, you're telling me that you can eat ice so long as it's not from your magic? Or fire in Natsu's case?" Lucy clarified, as I nodded my head once to show her that she had that correct. "That's kind of lame." She muttered under her breath. Hearing her, I couldn't help but gently jab her side with my elbow. Realizing that I had indeed, heard her, she shot me an apologetic look.

"I'll remind you of that the next time you want me to make you ice for a drink." I warned her, giving her a good-natured smirk.

"That's alright, I know you can't say _no_ to this cuteness!" Lucy shot back, as I chuckled at the pose she pulled as she said that. Rolling my eyes, I then looked back at the way the four of us were going.

After we continued to walk for several minutes, Natsu stopped in front of a restaurant. I had to admit though, they sure smelled like they were cooking up something mouthwatering in there.

"Oh wow! You smell that, Happy! I say we get some grub before we get to work." Natsu suggested, as he and Happy looked back at Lucy and me.

"I could probably eat." I said, as I glanced over at my sister.

"I'm good, but you guys go enjoy. I've got something to take care of. I'll be back in a few." Lucy answered, as she waved at us as she began to walk further down the street.

As Lucy walked away, I couldn't help but wonder just what she needed to go and do. She didn't mention anything on the way here. Figuring that she probably wanted to go and get some shopping done before we work the job, I just shrugged my shoulders and followed Natsu and Happy into the restaurant. We were seated, ordered, and got our food in a timely manner. By the time that we had gotten halfway through our meal, Lucy had returned.

Wearing a maid's uniform.

Upon seeing her, I didn't really think anything of it. Natsu and Happy made it seem like they wanted to take this approach to get into Everlue's mansion to steal the book. However, Natsu and Happy both looked really surprised.

"Lucy?" Natsu muttered, the food he had been chewing falling in his lap as his mouth fell open.

"Oh, come on. I know I'm really cute in this maid's outfit, but I'm sure you can still tell its me." Lucy said, as she then took on a shy pose. "Have you gotten enough food to eat, Master? Or shall I bring you some more?" she practiced, as Natsu and Happy placed a hand by their mouths and began whispering to each other.

"Oh no, she thought we were serious about the costume." Happy whispered loud enough for both Lucy and I to hear.

"We'll just have to roll with it. Just don't say anything, okay." Natsu whispered back, as I gave them a dry look.

"I swear, you two need to learn how to whisper. You two said that so loudly that even the man down the street could hear you." I told the two sarcastically, as they slapped the hands they'd been talking behind over their mouths, like they had said something wrong.

"Way to be such jerks, you guys." Lucy agreed, as she sat down next to me.

The rest of our meal went by smoothly. Lucy and I just simply conversed while Natsu and Happy sent food flying everywhere much like they did when we first met them back in Hargeon. When we were done, we paid the bill, and began making our way to the house we were to meet our client in to discuss the job we were coming to do for him. Upon reaching the address though, I couldn't help but think that the place smelled off somehow.

_It's almost liked this house has barely even been lived in. _I thought, as Lucy rang the doorbell. _Who knows, maybe the client just bought and moved into this place. Either way, it's none of my business. _Shrugging that train of thought off, I stood back on my heels as we waited for someone to come to the door.

After a few long minutes of waiting for someone to answer the door, I began to rethink ignoring my instincts. From the looks of this place, it's about the size of a mansion. Not as big as the Heartfilia estate, but a small mansion none the less; and any mansion big or small has a few servants and retainers milling about to keep the place up and running day to day. So, it was strange that we've been waiting for someone to open the door for nearly three minutes now.

Natsu was about to go up and start pounding on the door with his flaming fists, but upon hearing footsteps heading our way from inside the house, I quickly grabbed him by the back of his vest to prevent him from reaching the door.

"What the hell Icelynn!?" he growled at me, as I heard the lock being disengaged.

"Natsu, I'd rather meet the client without burning down the house they are staying in." I simply said, as I applied a light amount of my magic to my breath, as I blew out the flame on Natsu's hand. Once it was out, I simply released my fire dragon slayer counterpart.

When the door opened, a middle-aged woman wearing a red dress greeted us.

"Good afternoon. Might you be the mages we are expecting?" the woman asked, as Lucy gave her, her dazzling smile.

"Yes, Ma'am! My name is Lucy, and we are mages from Fairy Tail who accepted your request. We are wondering if Mr. and Mrs. Melon are available." Lucy said sweetly, her heiress training kicking in.

"Well, I am Mrs. Melon. It's nice to meet all of you. Please, why don't you come inside, and I can fetch my husband. Then we can discuss the job." Mrs. Melon said, as she ushered us all inside.

As we walked through the halls, we didn't see another soul as Mrs. Melon led us to the parlor, where we would discuss business. Once we were there, Mrs. Melon excused herself as we all settled down onto one of the sofas. Lucy sitting between Natsu and I, with Happy settled comfortably on the white apron of her maid uniform.

While we waited, I thought back to the specs of this job request. The job itself was simple. Steal a book from Everlue, get out without being caught, return to Mr. Melon, and get the two hundred thousand Jewel reward. Not to be stereotypical or anything, but the lengths Mr. Melon wants us to go to accomplish this job, you'd think he'd pay a bit of a higher price. The other jobs on the board I saw back on the guild involving stealing were base lined at around seven hundred thousand to nine hundred thousand Jewels.

Once again, my instincts were telling me that something was off, but there were so many factors that could easily explain things. Like the theory that they just moved in. Then there is the simple fact that any employees working here could be on holiday or something. Once again, I'm probably just being paranoid.

_Although, the last time I was paranoid like this, Lucy almost got kidnapped by human traffickers and taken to Bosco._ I thought with a scoff, earning the curious eye of said sister. Shaking my head to tell her silently that it was nothing, I went back to looking around the parlor we were in.

After a few more moments, Mrs. Melon returned with her husband in tow. Granting us a good afternoon, Mr. Melon took a seat on the sofa sitting across from the one Natsu, Lucy, Happy and I were currently sitting in. Once he settled, we got down to business.

"Thank you all for waiting. My name is Kaby Melon, it's nice to meet you." Mr. Melon said, introducing himself. However, before Lucy could open her mouth, Natsu and Happy both begin drooling about; well, _melons_…

"Quit being so rude you two." Lucy quietly snapped at the two, who began pouting at her. Deciding that it would be best to let Lucy handle the two numbskulls, I sat forward in my seat.

"Please excuse them Mr. Melon, Natsu and the blue cat Happy here really love food. I'm Icelynn by the way, and next to me here is my sister Lucy. It's nice to meet you as well." I apologized, as Mr. Melon gave me a small smile.

"Oh, it's fine. I get that a lot actually." He said, as he waved it off. Thankfully, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy had all stopped fussing and started paying attention. "Now that we've been properly introduced, let's discuss the job I requested of your guild."

"Of course. On the flier, it said that you wanted us to steal a book from Duke Everlue. Is that correct?" I asked, as I sat back once more.

"Yes. Duke Everlue has a book called _Daybreak_ in his collection. I'd like for you to get it from him and burn it for me." Mr. Melon said, as I began to feel surprised. I could tell that Lucy felt the same by the expression on her face. As for Natsu, you could easily tell that his pyro urges were beginning to act up again.

"That wouldn't be a problem for me!" Natsu declared, as he held up his index finger, and lit it up much like a lighter. "I'd even burn down the entire place if you wanted." He said, as I smacked him upside his head again.

"We can't get paid if we go to jail for arson, idiot." I scolded, as Natsu turned the pout he tried to use on Lucy towards me. Giving him a _bitch please_ look, Natsu soon huffed at me and looked away.

"Sir, do you mind me asking why you want this book to be burned?" Lucy asked, while I won the stare off Natsu and I were having and turned back to the meet and greet with our client.

"For two hundred thousand Jewels, I don't think anyone would really give a damn, Lucy." Natsu said, as Mr. Melon raised an eyebrow at us.

"My goodness. I guess you lot must have taken the job before they could update it. The reward has been raised to _two million_ _Jewels_." Mr. Melon corrected, as I felt my eyes open wide at this. My earlier suspicions coming back full force. While Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were still reeling from the shock of the reward amount change, I took a discreet deep breath of the room we were in.

_Wait a minute… Even if the Melons just recently moved here, there would still be a deep-seated smell of their employees. However, the only other scents I'm picking up besides us, is just Mr. and Mrs. Melon. _I thought, as I narrowed my eyes at our client. Maybe I was on to something with my earlier suspicions after all. _Why do I even question myself?_ I wondered, as I mentally prepared myself for the headache I'm likely to get from this.

Feeling glad that I had pulled that extra job off the board before we left Magnolia, I began losing hope for the two hundred thousand, or even the two million Jewel reward. From what I was smelling, Mr. and Mrs. Melon probably couldn't be able to afford to pay us even if we complete this job.

_Great, I can smell a past family scandal all over this bullshit._ I thought in annoyance. I'd smelled enough of those for a lifetime back at the Heartfilia estate…

Now that I'm thinking about books though, the name _Melon_ sounds really familiar to me. Glancing over at Lucy, who I know loves books way more than I do, I couldn't help but wonder if she could remember. I'd have to ask her later though, because if this really is the scandal I'm suspecting it of being, then things could get ugly for us later on.

"Either way, to answer your question. That book must be destroyed at all costs. I cannot allow _Daybreak_ to exist any longer than it needs to be." Mr. Melon continued, as he folded his hands. "It's also why I've raised the reward."

Seeing Mr. Melon's determination to have this book burned, Natsu's head practically combusted. The suddenness of it had Lucy crawling in my lap while Happy took to the air to avoid being crushed, just to get away from the overzealous fire wizard.

"I'M FIRED UP NOW! COME ON YOU TWO, LETS GET TO WORK!" Natsu shouted, as he put the fire around him out long enough to grab Lucy by the wrist and begin dragging her out of the mansion behind him.

"AYE, SIR!" Happy shouted, as he flew behind the two.

Watching as they left, I then turned to where Mr. Melon sat watching the door with a bit of shock. After a moment, he began to look down at the hands he still held folded before him as he asked us to burn the book. In what I could see of his face, there was a bit of anger, sorrow, and grief.

"Mr. Melon." I called, gaining the man's attention. "I can understand if you don't wish to tell me, but does that book mean something negative to you and yours?" I asked him, as Mr. Melon began clutching his hands so tight, they began turning white.

"Yes. That book is an insult to my family. It's caused us grief for some time now, and I can no longer bear this weight." He answered, as he closed his eyes. "Please, don't ask anymore. I've been tired of this subject for a lot longer than I care to acknowledge." He pleaded, as I nodded my head once.

"I understand." I said, standing up. "Oh, and once again, please forgive Natsu. As I said before, he gets rather excitable. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll go and get to work."

"Yes, of course." Mr. Melon said, as he turned to look at his wife. "Dear, do you mind showing Miss. Icelynn out?" he asked her, as I held up my hand.

"Oh, there's no need. I can show myself out. Thank you, though." I said, waving goodbye at the couple.

Making my way out of the mansion, I made sure to close the door Natsu had left wide open in his haste to get out of here. Once the door was shut, I began following the tracks and scent trail Natsu and Lucy left behind in their mad dash. It took me a while, but I eventually came across Natsu and Happy hiding behind a tree, watching Lucy as she walked up to the gate leading into Duke Everlue's mansion. A house Mr. and Mrs. Melon's could have fit inside of a couple of times with room to spare.

"Oh, there you are Icelynn. I was beginning to wonder where you went off to." Natsu said, as I put my back against the tree that sat next to his and Happy's and peered out at Lucy as well.

"I had to ask Mr. Melon one last question before I chased _you_ out of his house. Honestly Natsu, didn't Igneel teach you any manners?" I asked the fire breather, as he just shrugged his shoulders.

Rolling my eyes, I looked away from him and Happy to watch Lucy's progress. Approaching the gate, Lucy placed one of her hands by her mouth to amplify her voice.

"Hello! I'm here to apply for the open Maid's Position!" she called out, as everything grew silent. It stayed that way a few moments before Lucy had to put her back against the gate, all to avoid being hit by the walking stones being sent flying by this _huge_ woman who spun up from the ground my sister had just been standing on. Wearing a similar maid's uniform to Lucy.

_Holy shit, she's about the size of a small vulcan._ I thought in shock, as the gorilla of a girl made the ground shake as she landed on her feet. When she turned to look at Lucy, the poor girl could only let out a small squeak.

"So, you are a maid?" the gorilla woman asked, as Lucy nodded her head quickly.

"Yes." She squeaked again, becoming really nervous of giving the wrong answer.

"I assume that you saw the ad that the Master placed in the paper then." The gorilla maid said, as Lucy nodded again.

As Lucy went to ask more about it, we hear this creepy laugh come from the hole the gorilla woman had left behind. Not a moment later, this little round man pops up with a lecherous smile. All the while, stroking the mustache he made out of his nose hair. Fighting the urge to puke, I carefully watched the interaction between my sister, and our targets.

"Did I hear someone say _Master_?" the creep asked, as I narrowed my eyes on the bastard.

_Calm yourself, Ice. Remember what you told Natsu about not getting the reward if you go to jail…_ I reminded myself, as the little man turned to eye Lucy up and down.

"This maid is here to apply for the open position, Master." The gorilla woman said, as the little man turned his head this way and that.

After a few moments of this, the little man gave Lucy a bored expression, and waived her off.

"I'll pass, now scram ugly." He said, as I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the dramatic look Lucy had on her face.

Poor Lucy, she just can't get a break with her feminine wiles, can she? Either the man just isn't into looking at young girls and has eyes for only his wife, or the man simply doesn't view beauty in the traditional sense. In this situation, looks like the little man, who I'm guessing is Everlue; is the latter of the two.

"You heard my Master, Ugly. Get lost." The gorilla woman repeated, rubbing salt into the wound Lucy's ego must have right now. As Lucy stumbled back a step, Everlue turned to look at her as he stroked his nose mustache again.

"Sorry, but a man of my status has certain standards to uphold." Everlue said, as the ground in several places were broken through behind him. Out of the holes stood other maids of various shapes and sizes.

To put things politely: _Beauty is in the eye of the beholder_, as they say…

"That is why I will only hire the fairest maids I can find." Everlue finished, as Lucy looked on at his maids in shock. All of them began hugging their master, telling how grateful they are too him. From the way they looked, you could tell that they were well rested and fed. With the way they were shaped for this life, I can see how grateful they would be for Everlue to give them a job. Sadly, not everyone would hire them for how well they'd do their jobs. Some people just are, not so nice like that.

_At least it doesn't seem like he's abusing them_. I thought, a little grateful for that.

Poor Lucy though, she got one last, _run on home, ugly_ before she could really turn and begin walking. Once she was able to though, she turned and began wandering down the road. As she began leaving, I glanced over at Natsu, who silently nodded at me before slinking further back into the woods. Following his lead, the two of us plus Happy began heading in the direction the road leading up to Everlue's mansion went back to town.

We found Lucy sitting just within the tree line, at the base of a tree, her knees pulled up to her chest. Dramatically crying her eyes out of all things. Yep, her ego had definitely been bruised.

"So, you just couldn't pull it off, huh?" Natsu asked, as Lucy turned her tearful fury at him.

"I tried! That idiot just wouldn't know what beauty was if it bit him in the ass!" she sob-shrieked, as I rolled my eyes.

"Alright then, I guess we'll just have to resort to old _Plan T_." Natsu said, as I raised my eyebrow at the name of the plan…

"Yeah! That jerk's going to pay!" Lucy agreed, despite not knowing what _Plan T _is.

"Natsu." I called, getting both his and Lucy's attention. "What's _Plan T_?" I asked him, as Lucy began realizing that she doesn't know what that means either.

"Take 'em by storm!" Happy answered, as I couldn't help but shake my head in amusement.

_Of course, leave Natsu and Happy to name a straight up frontal attack something like _Plan T_. I like it_. I thought to myself, as Lucy began grilling them about taking a more subtle plan of action.

"Look! Icelynn already told you that we are not going to jail because of your craziness." Lucy scolded, as she put her thumb and finger to her chin in thought. "Now, there has to be a way we can _sneak_ in and get the book. Then come back out with none the wiser so we can have Natsu burn it." She said, as I turned to look at what we could see of the Everlue mansion over the tops of the trees.

"If we want to get in without being caught, then we could have Happy fly each of us up to the roof. We can break in through an attic window or something." I suggested, as I began wondering for just how long we could get Natsu to go along with our silent approach.

"Oh, come on! That doesn't sound as fun!" Natsu whined, as Lucy gave him a stern look.

"No! I think that Icelynn's plan has a better chance of success. It has the least amount of risk that Everlue catches on to what we're doing snooping around his mansion." Lucy said, as she turned to look at Happy. "Well, are you up for flying us to the roof, Happy?" she asked the little blue cat.

"Sure, so long as I don't have to carry two people at once." He answered, before giving Lucy an evil smirk. "I'm not looking forward to flying your heavy butt up there though…" he said teasingly, as Lucy gave him an evil look of her own. Still feeling a little sore over the _ugly_ comments from earlier, Lucy just huffed at Happy as she grabbed the spare change of clothes she had brought along just in case the ruse didn't work out. When she had them, she went behind some bushes to change.

After she was done, we began sneaking our way through the woods back to Everlue's mansion. Sneaking around towards the side to get away from the gate, Happy then began flying each of us individually up to the roof. He took Natsu first, me second, and Lucy last. While Happy flew back to get the last two of us, Natsu melted away a part of the glass on one of the windows.

Once he made a space wide enough to fit his arm though, he reached in and unlatch the window.

"Are you guys sure we can't just bust in through the front door. This isn't really taking them by _sTorm_ you know." Natsu whined once more, as Lucy sighed heavily.

"We've already covered this Natsu." she said, as Natsu turned his pout towards her once more.

"But I thought you wanted to have your revenge on that guy." Natsu pointed out, as Lucy got an evil glint in her eye that I knew all too well.

"Oh, I'll get my revenge on him alright. I'll find his toothbrush and scrub the toilet with it." she declared, as Natsu and Happy both became disgusted.

"Wait, wouldn't you be doing Everlue a favor at the same time?" I asked her, feeling just as disgusted. Thinking it over, Lucy came to the same realization. When she did, her evil expression fell.

"Oh my God, your right…" she sighed heavily.

"How about we just move a bunch of random things around and hide ones that look important." I suggested, as Natsu slid the window open. At my words, Lucy's evil glint returned to her chocolate brown eyes.

"Wow… No wonder people think we're blood related…" Lucy said, giggling maniacally.

"Wait… You two aren't really sisters?" Natsu asked, from where he and Happy had already crawled into the window he opened. Following him in, I shrugged my shoulders.

"Technically… We're not blood related, but I was adopted as the family ward, so Lucy and I were raised as sisters." I explained, as Lucy followed us in.

"Oh, really now." Natsu muttered, as Lucy slid the window closed behind her.

"Yep. That pretty much sums up how it happened." Lucy confirmed, as we all began looking for the way out of the attic.

While we looked for the door, Happy found a replica of a human skull big enough to fit over his head. Once he had it on, he sniggered as he began quietly tip toeing his way behind Lucy. When he was behind her, he sprouted his wings, and shot up right in front of Lucy's face.

Thankfully, Lucy was able to keep herself from screaming her head off and letting everyone in the vicinity know that we were here; but she did look like she was about to have a heart attack. While Lucy sank down against a wall to calm herself down, Happy turned to show Natsu and I a better view.

"Wow! Check me out! There's no way anyone would recognize me if they saw me now!" Happy said, as Natsu gave him a high five.

"You look pretty fierce little buddy." Natsu complimented him.

"It would make a nice mask, but please refrain from scaring Lucy like that again. We really would have to resort to _Plan T_ if she screamed in fright." I said, as Happy and Natsu both nodded their heads. Lucy, on the other hand, gave me a quiet thanks in gratitude.

With that, we put our shenanigans aside, and found the door that would let us into the rest of the mansion. Once we found ourselves in the level below the attic, we began carefully combing through all of the rooms on the floor. After about fifteen minutes, we'd found many guest rooms, music and drawing rooms, and golden bathrooms decorated with Everlue's ugly mug.

"Are we really going to check every single room in this place?" Natsu asked, after Lucy closed the door on the fifth golden bathroom.

"If that's what it takes to find the book, then yes." I answered him, as Natsu gave me an annoyed huff.

"I say we take someone hostage and make them tell us where it is. Or at least where to find the damn thing." Natsu said, as he opened the door to another guest room.

"The whole idea here is to keep from being seen, you dummy. So, we have to be stealthy. You know, kind of like a ninja." Lucy suggested, as Natsu got this nerdy, head in the clouds look on his face.

"Like a _real_ ninja?" he asked, as Lucy began shrinking away from his expression.

"I think you may have just created a monster." I told her, as she placed her hand over her face.

"You're probably right, as usual." Lucy agreed. "I'm honestly afraid of what's going on in that crazy head of his."

At about this time, I saw the tile floor behind Natsu lurch upwards. Smelling magic in the air, I turned to face the enemy. We then watched as the maids from before popped up from the floor that had been below us. I guess someone must have seen us as Happy flew us up to the roof. That is, if Everlue hadn't been watching us from the start.

_Then again, Lucy didn't wear any gloves with that maid's outfit from earlier, so that's a real possibility. He probably saw the Fairy Tail emblem on her hand when he took a look at her before._ I thought, as I filed that bit of info away for later. If Lucy and I ever planned on going undercover for another job, I'll have to keep that in mind.

"INTRUDER ALERT VIRGO!" The group shouted, as the gorilla maid from before popped up from her own separate hole in the floor.

"Let's crush them, girls!" the gorilla maid they had called _Virgo_ ordered, as the smaller maids charged at us with staffs.

However, with Happy wearing the skull, all he had to do was hiss at them to make them turn tail and run away. As they did this, Natsu lit up one of his fists, and shouted something that sounded like _Ninja Power_ as they flew back through the holes they had created. All Lucy and I could do at this point was sweat drop as Virgo simply dropped her heavy self on top of Natsu.

Instead of being squashed like a bug though, Natsu pushed the gorilla maid off and away from him. Once he did that, he took his scarf and wrapped it around his head like a hood and mask. Once again, following the _Ninja_ example Lucy had tried to get him to follow with being quiet. When he had it done the way he wanted, he had just enough time to dodge Virgo's counterattack, and kick her back down through the hole she had made with the other maids as well.

"We must not let ourselves be discovered, for we are _Ninja_." Natsu said, in a strange voice as he mimicked a hand sign. Crawling up on Natsu's shoulder, Happy did the same thing and echoed the word _Ninja_.

Sighing in annoyance, I used my magic to freeze over the hole left in the floor. Natsu was already being ridiculous enough, and I didn't want one of the maids to come back and encourage his bullshit any longer than necessary.

"Guys, I think ninjas are supposed to be quiet." Lucy told the two, as I simply walked past them.

Opening the door to the room we had been coming up on next, I called the other three over as I discovered the first library we've come across since we began searching through this place. Once everyone was inside, I quickly closed the door behind us. Looking around, you could see that just about every inch of the walls in this room were covered in books.

"There are many books in this library." Natsu said, still holding the hand sign and speaking in that odd voice.

"Aye, there are indeed." Happy copied.

"You guys can drop the ninja act now. We have to work quickly before the other maids and Virgo regain their wits." I said, as Lucy walked over to the closest bookshelf to us.

"Wow. I never would have thought that Everlue was such a book worm." Lucy commented, as she began scanning over the many different titles.

"Let's start looking!" Natsu declared, as he and Happy began doing a little dance of their own.

With that, he, Happy, and Lucy began scanning over the titles. Meanwhile, I walked over to the only desk in the room and picked up what looked like a catalogue of all the books in this library. Flipping it open, I began looking for the section of books beginning with the letter _D_.

After searching through the massive amounts of titles for about ten minutes, Lucy let out a huff of annoyance.

"Honestly! How in the hell are we going to find one stupid book in this huge place?" Lucy whined, as Natsu _ooh_ ed and _ahh_ ed at every other book. One with pictures, and one on all sorts of different fish. Ignoring them, I kept looking. Eventually, I found the title of the book. From what the log was saying, it should be on the shelf Natsu was currently gushing about the different colors the book covers were.

"Hey, look at this one, it's sparkly." He said, as I looked over.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to quit yapping and start looking through every book on that particular shelf. However, as I noticed the name of the sparkly book, I held my tongue.

"Holy shit, that's got to be the strongest dumb luck I've ever seen." I exclaimed, gaining Lucy's attention.

"What's wrong Icelynn?" she asked, as she looked over at the book Natsu was holding. Noticing that it was the book we had been looking for, she climbed down off the latter, and we both hurried over to where Natsu stood with it.

"Oh, wow! You found _Daybreak_ Natsu!" Lucy said, as Natsu looked at us in shock, then down at the book.

"I did!?" he echoed, as he read the title for himself. "Oh, wow, you're right!"

"Wait, we've already been here that long?" Happy asked, thinking that we would have been in here all day by now. Ignoring him, Natsu lit up the opposite hand he held the book in. Yet, before he could so much as touch his flames to the book, Lucy snatched it out of his hands.

"Wait a second! I didn't realize that this book was written by Kemu Zaleon!" Lucy said, as I blinked in shock.

"_Kem Zela _who?" Natsu asked, while Lucy fan-girled over _Daybreak_'s author was.

"Kemu Zaleon. He was a famous wizard and author. He's Lucy's absolute favorite. He's even got a couple of books I'm fond of." I answered, while Lucy hugged the golden book to her chest.

"I thought I'd read everything he'd ever written! To think, of all places, I'd come across an unpublished novel of his in some dirty old pervert's house!" Lucy said, as she looked at us with stars in her eyes.

"Well, it all burns the same to me." Natsu said, as he held the hand that he still had lit up in flames before him. Waiting for Lucy to torch the book she now held in her hands. As much as I like some of Zaleon's work, we still had a job to do. Lucy on the other hand, didn't feel the same way.

"Oh, no you don't! This is a great work of literature, there's no way in hell I'm letting a pyro like you burn it!" Lucy declared, as she turned pleading eyes towards me. "Come on Icelynn, you agree with me, don't you?" she asked.

"Look, Luce. I agree that Zaleon knows his way around writing a book, but we still need to complete this job. We do need to buy food and pay our rent after all." I reminded her, as I crossed my arms.

"Icelynn is right, what about the mission?" Happy said, backing me up, as Lucy began backing away from him and Natsu, who had started creeping forward to get the book from her.

"Forget about the stupid mission! I can't let you destroy this!" Lucy protested, as Happy began to get annoyed.

"Failure is not an option! We have to burn that book to get the reward." Happy snapped back.

"Come on, you guys! Can't we just _say_ that we burned it? I'd just keep it at home where no one but Icelynn would see it, and we'd never speak of it again!" Lucy suggested, as Natsu gave her that pyromaniac smirk of his, as they trapped Lucy at the desk.

"I'm not a liar." He told her simply, as he began reaching for the book.

At this point, Lucy began looking like she was about ready to begin fighting tooth and nail to keep Natsu from getting a hold of _Daybreak_. Not wanting to see either of them get hurt, I cast a cold blast at Natsu's blazing fist to put out his flames for the second time that day.

It was so sudden, that Natsu could only look at me in shock.

"Alright, children. How about a compromise?" I asked them, not giving Natsu or Lucy a chance to respond to what I had just done.

"What sort of compromise?" Happy asked, becoming suspicious that I was helping Lucy find a way to keep them from completing the job. Ignoring it, I stood between Lucy and the two backing her into a corner.

"This: You and Natsu hold off on burning the book _for now_. At least until we get out of here and get back to the Melons. After which, we burn the book before Mr. Melon's very eyes so that he can have undeniable proof that the book he wanted destroyed really _was_." I suggested, as Natsu and Happy thought it over. "Meanwhile, up until we get back to the Melon's place, Lucy has a chance to at least read the last book Zaleon wrote before it's gone for good. At least, that's what I'm assuming this is about. Right, Lucy?" I asked, as I turned to look over my shoulder.

"Well, yeah, but do we really have to destroy it?" she asked, as I narrowed my blue eyes at her.

"Luce, you already know the answer to that." I scolded her gently.

Sighing heavily, Lucy grabbed her gale force reading glasses, and plopped down right where she was to open the book to the very first page. "Oh, alright. It's a good thing I brought my glasses with me." She said, as Natsu and Happy openly gapped at her.

Glad that she finally gave in, I turned to look at Happy and Natsu. After a moment, they both nodded their heads in agreement. So long as the book gets destroyed like it was supposed to be, the _when_ didn't matter to them. The only problem now, is how to get Lucy moving so we can get out of the mansion.

Sadly, we wouldn't be leaving without a fight.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" we heard a familiar, creepy voice ask, as the floor behind us was broken through for the third time today. Out of it this time though, popped up Everlue himself. Flanked not by his maids, but by two other guys as well. A man in a blue jacket, and one in white. Each of them held a cuff with a guild emblem on it. The one that belongs to the _Southern_ _Wolves_, a mercenary guild.

Seeing as another enemy showed up, Lucy stood up with _Daybreak_ still in her grasp.

"So, you thieves are looking to pilfer _Daybreak_ from me." Everlue said, as he began stroking his nose mustache again. "I knew that you lowlife wizarding guild types were coming around to take something of mine. I just never would have guessed that it was all to get that stupid book."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel a little confused, and more confident that a family scandal was present in all of this. After all, why would Mr. Melon say he's willing to pay two million jewels for a book its owner deems as stupid. Back at the Heartfilia estate, Jude had any book he saw as unfit of being in his house sent somewhere else. Yet, Everlue, not as rich as the Heartfilia family but still pretty rich; has done no such thing.

The only question left is why?

"Wait, so if this book is stupid, does that mean I can keep it?" Lucy asked, as I smacked her upside the head this time. Squeaking more out of shock than pain, Lucy turned a pleading look my way.

"NO! IT'S MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" Everlue freaked out, as Lucy called him _Greedy Gut_ in a low voice. She got another _ugly_ insult for her troubles though.

"Oh, whatever! Lucy, just hand the book over so I can burn it and get this over with." Natsu demanded, as she closed the book and hugged it to her chest once more.

"No! Icelynn said I had until we got back to our client!" she fussed, as Natsu began to get annoyed once more. Ignoring him, Lucy squatted back down to resume reading. Making Natsu a little angrier in the process. However, before he could start an argument over it, Everlue waved the two Southern Wolves members forward.

"I've had enough of you thieves touching my possessions! Come forth and eliminate them _Vanish Brothers_!" Everlue ordered, as the two wearing similar jackets stepped forward. "The Southern Wolves are always hungry for fresh game. Say your prayers you dirty thieves."

"Fairy tail punks, huh?" one of the wolves said, as he eyed each of us carefully.

"It would seem so." The other one answered, as he too, eyed us for what we were worth.

As they did this, Lucy took off her glasses, and stood back to her feet. Reaching over she grabbed one of my hands.

"Hey Natsu, do you think you can hold them off for a while. I think this book holds some kind of secret." Lucy said, all traces of her earlier childishness replaced by a serious look. "Icelynn, I want you to come with me just in case those maids from earlier try to find me while I'm trying to figure it out."

"Are you sure, Lucy?" I asked her, as she nodded her head once.

"Yes. Are you alright with this plan, Natsu?" she asked him next.

"Sure, it's more ass kicking for me to dish out." He answered, as Lucy turned to nod at me. Giving her my own nod, I muttered for Natsu and Happy both to watch their backs as Lucy and I ran for the door.

One of the wolves tried to follow us, but all it took was making and throwing one of my ice spike-daggers to make him have to dodge back from us. Giving us plenty of time to get out of the library and shut the door tightly behind us. Knowing that Natsu would be able to bust the door open with his fire power, I froze the door to its frame to prevent anyone else from following after us.

Once the door was stuck, Lucy and I began running through the halls. Looking for a safer place for her to finish reading the book. A place everyone inside this mansion wouldn't think to look. While we ran, Lucy put her nose back into _Daybreak_ to try and find the secret she thinks it contains. Not wanting her to trip and fall down a set of stairs, I simply threw her over my shoulder. Making me thankful for my dragon slayer training, and how it made me a bit stronger than an ordinary girl.

_NOT_ that Lucy is heavy or anything. To be honest, she's actually at an average weight for a girl of her height and width. Despite what Happy says, anyway.

Luckily for us, I only had to set Lucy down to deal with Everlue's maids only once. Thankfully, Virgo was also absent on this account as well. I hated to get violent with them, but they were in the way of us doing a job. Once they were taken care of, _again_, Lucy and I found ourselves down in the sewer that ran beneath Everlue's mansion.

We made sure to head down the tunnels for several yards before I set Lucy down once more so she could get as comfortable as she could in a place like this to read a bit faster.

"Any idea what secret that book holds yet?" I asked, as Lucy paused in her reading.

"Yes, and it's not pretty." Lucy answered, as she looked over her glasses at me with an angry and sad expression. "From what I've found out so far, Everlue forced Zaleon to write this book by threatening his family. Not only that, but he kept Zaleon in a prison cell that is down here somewhere for three years. I'm almost at the end of the book, and I have to say that I'm appalled that Everlue would go to such lengths just to stroke his stupid ass ego." She said, as I felt both of my wrists have a ghost of a throb.

Holding my arms across my middle, I glanced down at my black and blue leather bracers that hid my wrists and the scars that mar them. They had shrunk, and faded a bit, but you could still see them. My ankles even had a matching set of their own. Biting my lip, I reminded myself that I was no longer a prisoner, as my helplessness turned into anger; and unlike the bastard that held me captive, I can make the man who wrongfully imprisoned Zaleon pay for what he's done.

"Lucy…" I called, as Lucy turned a curious glance at me. Which turned to worry as she saw the darkened look that had come over my face. "Do you have your lacrima camera on you?" I asked her.

Reaching into her skirt pocket, she pulled out the very object I had just asked her about.

"What do you need it for?" she asked nervously.

Taking it, I turned to face away from her.

"You said that the cell Zaleon was kept in was down here, right?" I asked her, as she hummed yes. "Then if I can find it and get some evidence that Everlue illegally held him captive here, then we can have Everlue dealt with for committing such an unforgivable act. Will you be alright here on your own while I do that?" I asked, as I turned to look back at her. Making sure to dial back my scary look a bit.

"Yeah. If anything happens, I can always call out Taurus. Just be careful Icelynn. I don't want Everlue to trap you for three years too." Lucy said, as she gave me a small smile.

_Never again… I'll die before I have to live through _that_ again._ I thought bitterly, as I turned to hide my eyes from her once more.

"Yeah, that sure would suck." I said, emotionlessly.

Without another word, I turned and began running in the direction we had been going in before. Where we entered the tunnels was the very back of the sewer line Everlue owned, so I knew the prison cell had to be somewhere a head.

After spending a little while searching, I suddenly had to brace myself against the wall as an explosion rocked the very foundation of the mansion above me. For a moment, I began worrying that the tunnel was about to collapse on me and Lucy. Luckily, everything still held itself together.

_Natsu Dragneel, you are one fucking destructive wizard_. I thought with a smile. After Hargeon, it's not very difficult for me to believe that he can easily destroy Everlue's mansion on a large enough scale to shake the earth like that. If anything, I'm a bit surprised that he didn't break through the floor at the rate he's going.

When another ten minutes passed me by, I stopped to take a break in my running.

"Damn. How far does this thing go anyway?" I questioned out loud, as I turned to lean back against the wall. As I did though, I felt something slide into place, and click. Getting off the wall faster than I leaned against it, I turned just in time to see a hidden door sliding open.

_Looks like I may have just found it._ I thought nervously, as I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms against my black pants. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for what I was about to see. Peering inside the room, I saw what kind of poor lighting Zaleon was forced to write in for three years. The only reason I could see well enough to tell that the big block in there was a low wooden table, was thanks to my sight being enhanced by my dragon slayer abilities.

Back behind it, was a stake holding a chain to the floor. Halfway between the table and the stake sat the shackle. A shackle with three-year-old dried blood. What caught me off guard though, was the smell that still permeated the air in that room. I don't know how many years have passed since Kemu Zaleon was released from this room, but his scent was still there. I was also surprised at how similar this scent was to Kaby Melon.

_Like when two people are closely related. Like the scent of a father, being very similar to that of his son…_ I thought in shock, as the real reason Kaby Melon wanted _Daybreak_ destroyed became clear to me.

However, I had to agree with Lucy that the book could not be destroyed, not now. Not before Mr. Melon sees the secret that Lucy found anyway. If the secret is as I suspect it of being, then the book Everlue forced him to write for him is just a ruse. A way for Zaleon to hide his final words to his son. The truth of why he had disappeared from his son's life for those three years Everlue held him here.

It made sense that Mr. Melon has no idea of any of this. Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and I wouldn't be here to steal and burn the book if that were the case. No, we'd be here to bring it back to Mr. Melon instead. That, and seeing that it's for our client's greater good even if the job says otherwise; Lucy and I will have an easier time getting Natsu and Happy to let us show the book to Mr. Melon instead of destroying it.

_Then I'm sure Mr. Melon would like to have some justice gotten for his father. So, I'd better get to taking pictures._ I thought, as I held up the camera and began snapping away. Pushing away my nausea, I formed an ice claw, and used it to scrape away some of the dried blood from the shackle that hadn't been used since Zaleon had been here. When I had a sample of what was left, I then broke off the ice nail, and froze it over.

A skilled healer would be able to extract the blood and test it against any records of Zaleon's medical history. Or even Mr. Melon's own DNA if it came down to it.

Satisfied with what I found, I stepped back and hit the slightly discolored stone to make the room close itself once again. Not wanting Everlue to try to come down here and get rid of everything before the Rune Knights could show up, I froze the door over, much like I had to the library door earlier. When I stepped back once more to view my handy work, I began hearing what sounded like a drilling noise coming from where I had left Lucy.

Becoming a bit worried for my sister, I turned and began running back in her direction. When I was about halfway back to where I had left her, I found my way blocked by the two mercinaries we had left to Natsu back in the library. Both looked pretty singed and damn it if they didn't reek from it.

"Where do you think your going?" the taller of the two asked, as I put Lucy's lacrima camera in my pocket for safe keeping.

"It would seem that our employer was right about us needing to get to the hidden cell. I'm afraid that we cannot let you go after you've been in that room. Duke Everlue gave us strict orders to eliminate anyone who dared to enter it." The shorter one said, as they both stood at the ready.

"Look boys, haven't you two had your asses kicked enough for one day. If you can't stand up to one dragon slayer, how in the hell could you stand up to another?" I asked them, as I watched and waited for them to respond. Or even attack me if they liked.

At my words, the two looked at each other for a brief moment before looking back at me.

"We had heard that Fairy Tail had acquired another dragon slayer, but we weren't sure if that was just a rumor." The shorter one began this time, as the other one spread his feet a little further apart.

"All of the dragon slayer's we've heard of so far are all male, how could you possibly be one?" the taller one asked, as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Well, then. Just don't say that I didn't warn you." I told them, as I let the coldness of my skin permeate the air around us. It only took a few seconds, but soon the three of us could see our breath in the colder atmosphere I had made.

Shocked at the sudden change in atmosphere, the two began looking at their breaths. Seeing this as my opportunity, I rushed at them. Pooling my magic into my fist, I use my wing attack on the taller one, and spun around to use my talon attack on the shorter one, once I followed through with my first attack. The force from it was enough to put them back down, as I thought it would.

If they hadn't fought Natsu first, then it wouldn't have been so easy for me to take them down. Still, I didn't want to take any chances, so before I left to continue on my way to Lucy, I formed an ice block around the two. Making sure to leave enough space for them to be able to breathe and call out for help, I then shoved the ice block into the sewer water. Right as it hit the water, it began floating away from me, following the current to the place the water would drain into. Knowing how Natsu is, despite not knowing him for very long, I figured that this place would be crumbling down not too long from now. So, this was the least I could do to make sure the two hired wolves wouldn't be crushed by falling debris.

Once they were nearly out of my sight, I turned and began running once again. This time, I was able to make it to where Lucy, who had been joined by Happy at this point, was. In front of her stood Cancer, who was in turn, facing Duke Everlue. The man looked rather furious, so I could only guess that Lucy had told him that we knew what he did to Zaleon. Also, that Zaleon had written down everything Everlue had done, and used a spell to conceal all of it within that one golden book.

"Lucy!" I called, gaining my sister and Happy's attention. Along with Everlue's of course, while Cancer merely glanced at me for a second before facing the enemy once more to keep an eye on him.

"Icelynn! Did you get it?" Lucy asked me, as I nodded my head once.

"Yeah… I found the cell this bastard kept Zaleon in and took several pictures. All we gotta do now is get out of here." I answered, as Everlue began to sweat.

"Impossible! The _Vanish Brothers_ might not have been a match for that fire fellow, but how in the hell could they be defeated by this mere slip of a girl?" Everlue fussed, his face now turning red with his anger.

"Oh, about those two… They won't be fighting us on your behalf anymore. I kind of… Sent them sailing, if you catch my _drift._" I joked, as Lucy snorted behind me in amusement. Happy on the other hand, began rolling around in his laughter, only causing Everlue to turn about as red as a plum.

"I've had about enough of this!" Everlue shouted at us, as he pulled out a key that looked similar to those Lucy wields. Taking a similar stance, Everlue then held the key out in front of him. "Open Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"

As the summoning circle appeared beside Everlue, I felt my jaw drop a bit. Glancing over at Lucy, I saw that she held a similar expression to me. Happy was totally shocked as he stood back up from his laughing fit.

"Wait, isn't that your trick Lucy?" the little guy asked, as the gorilla maid from earlier appeared.

However, the most shocking thing of all, was not that the gorilla maid from earlier was Virgo the Maiden of the Zodiac Gate Keys, but that Natsu was hanging on to her shoulder.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, as he turned a stupefied look our way.

"Hold on! How did I get here?" Natsu asked, as he blinked at us owlishly.

"Natsu, weren't you upstairs?" I asked him, as he nodded his head once at me.

"I was. I saw the maid getting back up, so I jumped on her. Next thing I know, I'm here with you guys." Natsu quickly explained, as he kneels on the giant spirit's shoulder.

"So, you grabbed her while you were still in the house… Then that means you passed through the Celestial Spirit gate with her. That's supposed to be impossible!" Lucy shrieked.

_Oh yeah, I forgot that Lucy explained this to me at one point. For a human to pass through a spirit gate is a breech of the contract between wizard and spirit. Not only that, but it's said that humans can't breathe on their side of the gate._ I thought, as the time I asked Lucy about all of that came to my mind. It was while we were on the train ride to Magnolia to begin or new lives as guild members, after she finally learned a bit more about the magic type I possess during our fight in Hargeon with Bora.

_Either way, I'll have to think about all of that later. Right now, I need to get my head back in the fight. _ I thought, as I looked away from Natsu.

"Forget about all of that! Virgo, I want you to fetch me that book!" Everlue ordered his spirit, who turned to look at Lucy.

"Uh oh, Lucy, Icelynn, what do I do?" Natsu asked, as Virgo began moving to dislodge him.

"Finish what you started!" Lucy called back at him, while I dropped to my knees, and froze the concrete floor we were all standing on over with a thick sheet of ice. This would prevent Everlue from doing that drilling magical thing he does. The ice an ice dragon makes is very hard to break through or melt. If Everlue tries to use his magic now, he'll just spin around like a top.

While I did this, Natsu used his breath attack on Virgo. As he took her down, and with Everlue unable to escape, Lucy took her whip and managed to snake it around Everlue plump form. Once she had him, all it took was a flick of the wrist to send him flying towards Cancer, who had been standing ready this entire time. When Everlue was free of Lucy's whip, Cancer descended upon Everlue's hair with his scissors.

When Cancer was done, every single strand of hair on Everlue's face was gone. Little bastard looked like a freaking goblin, now that he was bald and clean shaven. He was so mortified, that he pretty much let himself keel over.

Thanking Cancer for his help, Lucy sent him back home, as Lucy, Happy, and I turned to see Natsu standing beside Virgo with his foot on her back. Taking one look at Everlue, Natsu began cackling.

"Wow! Crab Man did a good job!" Natsu said, as the house above us began rumbling once more.

Unlike when it did that earlier though, the rumbling didn't stop. Figuring that the Everlue Mansion was about to come crumbling down on us, I reached over to put the tip of my foot under Everlue. Once it was there, I then kicked him towards his downed Celestial Spirit.

Seeing what I was doing, Lucy was about to ask me why I did that, but quickly shut up when I scooped up Happy and grabbed her arm before dragging her over towards Natsu, Everlue, and the maid. When I got us there, I handed Happy over to Lucy before using my magic to create a dome of ice above us. Just in time to, for even the tunnel ceiling above us began crumbling over our heads as well.

"What's happening?" Happy asked, as I focused my concentration on the dome of ice protecting us.

"All of the holes Everlue created must have weakened the support system for the mansion." Lucy explained, while we all waited with baited breath, hoping a huge piece of the house wouldn't be enough to crush my dome of ice.

After what felt like an eternity, the rumbling and the crumbling stopped. Letting go of my magic, we watched as my ice dome shattered to reveal a totally leveled plot of land. Gaping at the destruction, Lucy ran to what used to be the front of the house and turned to look at the extent of the damage from outside the plot. Following her, I turned to look myself. Upon seeing it, I could only die a little inside at the lecture we're sure to get from Master Makarov…

Natsu on the other hand, looked completely relaxed. Letting out a whistle, he turned his signature grin towards Lucy and me.

"I like your guys style. End it all with a bang! You two are definitely gonna fit right in at Fairy Tail." Natsu commented.

"Wait, weren't we supposed to _not_ destroy stuff?" Happy asked, as Lucy turned a whiney look in my direction.

"I hope I don't get blamed for this." She pouted, as I turned a tired look her way.

"Might as well suck it up, Luce. Face it, all of us will share it. Everlue might have caused the damage, however, _we _were the ones who broke and entered." I told her, as her pout only worsened.

Sighing heavily, I turned and began heading for the path that would lead back to town. Without dropping her pout, Lucy followed after me. Natsu and Happy also did the same, discussing what they wanted to eat for dinner once the job was done and we all got paid.

After we got back to town, I stopped at the road that would take me back to the town's edge.

"Alright you guys, this is where we part ways." I said, as Happy and Natsu looked at me with confused expressions.

"Icelynn, you're leaving already?" Happy asked, as I nodded my head once.

"Yeah. Before we left the guild, I took an extra job to do on my own. Seeing as my part in Lucy's promise has been fulfilled, I can get to Oshibana and track down some runaway kid." I answered, as Natsu and Happy looked at each other and shrugged. From the way we ended up bringing the book with us, and the secret Lucy found in it, I don't think we'll be able to complete this job. Therefore, we won't be getting paid for it either.

"Cool with me. What about you little buddy?" Natsu asked.

"Fine with me. So, I guess we'll see you back at the guild." Happy said, as he turned to look at Lucy. "Are you going with her too?" he asked.

"No… One job at a time is enough for me. Besides, I'm pretty sure Natsu here would appreciate it if someone helped him get off the train once we're back in Magnolia." She answered, as Natsu began to turn green just thinking about it.

"Either way, I'll see you guys back home. Oh, and try not to be too hard on Mr. Melon if he gets upset that we didn't destroy the book." I said, as I turned to face the direction I would be going in.

"Okay. Bye Icelynn!" Lucy shouted, as she waved at me. Waving back at her, I then turned to start walking.

We spent just about all day getting that book from Everlue. On the way back to town, I had already handed Lucy her lacrima camera back so she could use the photos I'd taken to convince Mr. Melon to keep from burning the book at least until he's had a chance to read it.

Not to mention, how they'll then need to be handed over to the magic counsel to be used as evidence against the Duke Everlue. That being said, it would take me a couple of days to make it to Oshibana from here. By the time I get there, that kid I need to find should have had plenty of time to think about things concerning his family.

With me being the ward of the Heartfilia family, I kind of know what he must be feeling. As someone whose been adopted, or made a ward, the moment you find out such a truth can be a little hard to digest. Like for one, you know the people around you love you, but sometimes you can't help but to feel like an outsider. Some kids also react to this situation differently.

As for myself, I went into the Heartfilia estate already knowing that they weren't my real family. However, after a lot of time to think through the shit I had to endure beforehand, and love and patience from Lucy; I managed to accept her as my sister, despite the two of us coming from different blood.

As for the boy I'm to find, some have the urge to run away. In cases like these, it takes patience and love from the parents; and sometimes some friendly advice from someone whose been there before.

I can only hope I can get through to the kid…

XXX

Next Chapter: Chapter 5 – Lullaby

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Lullaby

_Dear Storm,_

_ I know it's been a while since I last wrote to you, but Lucy and I have settled in to Fairy Tail pretty well I'd say. We even finished our very first job as a team with someone. Natsu and Happy, the two we met in Hargeon and brought us to Magnolia. The job itself was a simple one, although Natsu proved he could be a sneaky, clever bastard when he wants to be. All we had to do was steal a book from a duke out in Shirotsume and burn it for our client._

_ As you probably could guess, this job went a little off course. Apparently, we Fairy Tail mages weren't the only one to try to complete this job for our client. The duke pretty much guessed that we were there to steal something from him, based on the other failed attempts of other guilds. However, he wasn't sure just what we all were after. I guess, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and I all got further than the others, because he was rather surprised when we found the book we needed to steal and destroy._

_ We all fought, and during the battle, Lucy found out that the book we needed to steal held a secret. _

_ Not only was it written by one of her favorite authors, but it also told the story of how the duke had illegally imprisoned the author and forced him to write a novel he didn't want to create. By threatening the author's family, the duke eventually got what he wanted three years later. What the duke was unaware of though, was that the author had written a book about all of the things he had wanted his son to know from him. When he finished writing such a book, the author cast a spell on it to hide the books true nature from the duke. _

_ Satisfied with the author's work, Everlue eventually let the author go back home to where he belonged. Not long after that, the author died. _

_ When we had spoken to the client before taking the job, I could sense that there was more to everything. Unfortunately, I won't know anymore of the details until I return to Magnolia. After we got the book and were heading back to the home of the client, I split ways with Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. Knowing how destructive Natsu is, I took an extra job from the guild. The request is to help track down a runaway. _

_ I know it's a bit confusing as to why I wouldn't take this job first. Well, Lucy also asked me the same thing. My answer to her was to give the kid some time to think about things. He's come into his magic and is using it to evade everyone trying to get him to go back home. I just hope that I can talk some sense into him…_

_ That being said, I'd better get going. The sun's rising, so I need to get to the client and get to tracking the boy while I have the light to do so. I'll write to you again soon._

_With love,_

_Icelynn._

XXX

Folding up my newest letter to Storm, I put it in my bag before closing it. Standing up, I slung my bag over my shoulder, and stood up from the table at this outdoor café that sat at the outer edge of Oshibana. It had been early morning when I had finally reached the town, and pretty much smelled the place from a block away. Seeing as I hadn't really eaten anything since I broke camp at dawn, I stopped in for a bite to eat, and to take the chance to write another letter to Storm.

Once I was sure I had everything, I went to the entrance to the café and paid my bill. When that was settled, I took out my job request, and set out to find the address of my clients. Now that I was here in Oshibana, it was time to get down to business. As I said in my letter to my father figure, the kid's had a few days to think on things, so it's high time to get that boy back to his family.

XXX

Three days…

It had taken me three whole days to bring Alan Swan back to Oshibana. Oh, and as it turns out, Alan hadn't _intended_ to run away from home.

After he accidentally learned of his magic, and his origins, he did run into the woods nearby as it had been reported. However, he only needed the time up until it started getting dark to finish sorting through his thoughts. Unfortunately, in his frustrations, Alan let his magic run rampant, causing him to become lost in the woods from the overgrowth he caused. The total two days I spent doing that job with Natsu, Lucy, and Happy; Alan spent them trying and failing to remember which direction was which, causing him to venture further and further away from home.

It also didn't help him each time an animal or a forest vulcan tried to get him, causing him to use his magic to protect himself. Which in turn, created the traps that he was _supposedly_ laying in order to avoid being caught and brought back home.

To find him, all I had to do was look for the picked over patches of very well grown berry bushes and patches of wild onions and such over a stretch of a day and a half walk. Hence the total three days to complete the job.

Mr. and Mrs. Swan were elated to finally have their son back home. He got a little scolding and a threat of having to wear a compass around his neck, but his parents were just happy to have their beloved son back where he belongs.

Shoving the thoughts of the job away with a sad smile, I put the reward money in my bag, I then closed it as I sat down next to it on the bed of the hotel room. I had booked it last night after I dropped Alan off and got my and Lucy's rent money. As I grabbed a hair tie and began braiding my hair, I found myself wondering how different things would have been with Lucy and I, had Jude not ignored us the way he did or try and use us as pawns to expand the Heartfilia railway through arranged marriages. Marriages between Lucy and I to people who would only use this as their chance to take over the railway for themselves.

Jude had wanted Lucy to marry Duke Sawarr Junelle. A round, little old man who only wanted Lucy for her looks, not for herself. As for me, Jude had wanted to give me away to a man named Xavier Crevier. He's just a little older than me, and he is an evil, underhanded man who only likes the profit others can gain him through either magic or good looks. Didn't matter to him if it was a living person or an item for trade.

_Damn good thing that Lucy and I left when we did. _I thought with a sigh, as I finished and tied off the braid to keep my hair out of my face.

Looking at the lacrima clock in my room, I saw that it was nearing midday. If I left now, I would be able to catch the one o'clock train back to Magnolia. Feeling that now was as good as any time to be getting home, I grabbed my bag and left my room. After I handed in my key to the front desk, I then left the hotel to make my way to Oshibana Station.

As I went to turn the corner to get onto the street the train station was on, I had to quickly jerk myself back a step to keep from being runover. Runover by a green SE Magic mobile being driven by a red headed woman, who had some very familiar people with her.

_Wait… Did I just see Gray Fullbuster hanging on to the top of that thing? And was that Natsu Dragneel hanging out of the open window? Not to mention that the girl trying to keep him from falling out looked a little too much like my sister._ I thought to myself, as I turned to look in the direction the vehicle had been going.

Which also happened to be in the same direction as the train station.

Getting a bad feeling about it, I turned and began running in that direction as fast as my feet could carry me. I don't know who the red headed woman was, but if she had Gray and Natsu with her, then maybe she's a member of Fairy Tail that I just haven't met yet. Either way, they looked to be in a big hurry, like they had an emergency or something. When the station came into sight, I began pushing my body to run faster once I saw the smoke rising from the building.

Upon seeing the crowd of people being kept from going inside it, my bad feeling began to get worse. As I got to the edge of the crowd, I managed to catch a whiff of Lucy's scent on the wind. Pushing my way through the crowd, I tried my best to spot her.

"_PLEASE STAND BACK! THE STATION IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO A DERAILMENT!_" I heard one of the conductors say through a lacrima hand speaker. As he made the announcement, I also heard the people around me mutter all sorts of reactions to it. Disbelief, shock, and some even gossiped about a dark guild having taken the station over.

When I was near the front edge of the crowd, I finally spotted familiar blonde hair.

I had finally spotted Lucy standing just off to the side of the man who had been announcing, with Natsu's arm draped across her shoulder from where she was supporting his dead weight. Next to her stood Gray, and in front of them next to the conductor, stood the red headed woman I saw briefly before. Happy, of course, freely floated above them deep in thought about something concerning _Lucy being weird_…

Now that I could see them clearly, I saw that the red head wore heavy armor bearing the Fairy Tail emblem on her breast plate. While she tried to question the conductors about the mages inside the building and knocked them out when they tried to run from her in fear, I walked over to where Lucy stood.

"Never thought I'd run into you guys here of all places." I said, causing Lucy to jump. Nearly dropping Natsu as she did so.

"Icelynn! Oh, my God, you scared the daylights out of me!" Lucy fussed while I held up my hands with a not so apologetic smile on my face, as Gray turned to look at me as well.

"Oh, hey. You're Lucy's sister, right? Icelynn?" he asked, as he held out his hand. "I'm Gray. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah… Likewise." I said, as we shook hands for a moment. "I saw you guys speeding by in that SE vehicle like a bat out of hell, what's going on?" I asked, as the red headed woman moved on to the last conductor still conscious.

"That's right, you were already here on that other job, so you weren't at the guild when Erza came back yesterday." Lucy said, as she turned around, still supporting Natsu.

"Erza?" I asked, as I looked over at the red headed woman in time to see her knock out the final crying man she had been questioning. "I'm guessing that's her?"

"Yeah, that's Erza. Just don't get on her bad side." Gray muttered, as I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Okay… I'll take your word for it." I said slowly, as I wondered why he would say that. Then again, from the serious look on _Erza's_ face, I guess she takes jobs and being a member of a guild seriously or something. And, if I remember correctly from Lucy's ravings a while back, Erza is one of Fairy Tail's elite S-Class wizards.

By now, Erza had begun making her way back over to where I now stood with Gray, Natsu, Happy, and my sister.

"Gray, Lucy, who is this?" she asked, as she got near us.

"Oh, this is my sister, Icelynn. She joined the same time I did and was away on a job when you came to Fairy Tail yesterday to get Natsu and Gray to help you with Lullaby." Lucy explained, as Erza gave me an appraising look.

"Oh, alright…" Erza said, as she gave me a smile. "It's nice to meet you Icelynn, I'm Erza. I hope we aren't preventing you from completing the job you're on." She greeted, as I shook her hand as well. And damn, she sure had one firm handshake.

"No, I completed my job request last night. I was actually going to come to the station to get a ride home, but it looks like something's going on though. Do you guys need any help?" I offered, as Erza thought it over.

"Well, we could certainly use all of the back up we can get. That being said, we need to get inside. Icelynn, I'll fill you in on the way inside. We need to find Erigor soon as possible." Erza agreed, as I ran my bag to the green SE vehicle, and tossed it in the open window. Once it was inside, I then followed my guildmates into the station. Once Gray got his jacket back on, of course.

I slipped myself underneath Natsu's other arm to help Lucy carry him through the hallways as I listened to what had been going on from Erza. All the while dodging the victims Eisenwald has left behind from the Rune Knights that had gone in before we did.

Apparently, while on the way back home from Shirotsume, Happy, Natsu, and Lucy had run into Gray. While they were traveling together to get back to Magnolia, Happy ended up getting kidnapped by some hungry dark guild mages trying to cook and eat him. Natsu, Lucy, and Gray managed to save Happy, but before they could question the dark mages, they were dragged off by a shadow. The only word they got from them before that, was the word Lullaby. Then yesterday, Natsu and Gray got recruited by Erza to help her investigate some mages who seemed to be up to something big concerning this _Lullaby, _and the guild master's conference going on in Clover right now.

While on the train for Clover, the four of them went over the two situations, and Erza believes that a dark guild called Eisenwald is planning on using a demon flute to kill all of the guild masters in Clover at that conference.

"Hold on, when you say demon flute, you don't mean the one from the book of Zeref, do you?" I asked, as we kept running.

"I'm afraid so. We weren't aware of it at the time, but we were on the same train as the dark mage who had it." Lucy answered.

"We had wanted to stop Lullaby from falling into Erigor's, the leader of the dark guild Eisenwald's hands. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. Once Erigor had it, he highjacked the train at Kunugi Station; that's why we rushed here as fast as we could. However, seeing as he's been using the train, I fear he might try to use the flute over the stations loudspeakers to test it out." Erza finished, as we all began coming upon the area the ticket booths are.

"They're waiting for us." I warned everyone, as we slowed down to a walk.

"How do you know?" Gray asked, as I adjusted Natsu's arm.

"I can smell them ahead. Heightened senses are a common thing in dragon slayers." I explained, as we got closer and closer.

"Alright then. Be on guard." Erza said, as we walked into the room; and sure enough, there was indeed a dark guild waiting on us.

Perched on top of one of the trains, high above his guildmates, was a shirtless man with blue swirling tattoos on his torso and face. He also had dark eyes and silver hair. Over his shoulder, he held the handle to a scythe, with its blade curling around him menacingly. The moment he saw us, he chuckled lowly to himself.

"Welcome, _Fairy Tail Flies_." He greeted us; the mocking tone unmistakable in his voice. "Come, step into our newfound parlor." At their leader's words, the other some thirty odd dark mages began chuckling at us as well.

Keeping my eyes locked on the enemy mages before us, I helped Lucy to lay Natsu down on the floor, where he continued to feel motion sick.

"I take it, that that man on top of that train is this Erigor you told me about?" I asked Erza, as she nodded her head at me once.

"I believe so… The fiend." She said, as her gaze sharpened on the leader of Eisenwald.

"My, aren't you smart… For a fly…" Erigor chuckled, having heard us.

Hearing him chuckle as well, Lucy knelt down to try and shake Natsu awake again. Only to end up making the poor guy's motion sickness even worse. Lucy may not be a vehicle, but that doesn't mean she can't make things worse for Natsu. Apparently, we weren't the only ones to notice this either. One of the mages standing across from us took one look at Natsu, then got really pissed off at seeing him laying out on the floor like he was.

"Hey, I remember you! It's because of you that I got into trouble with Erigor." A mage wearing a white coat, with black hair and eyes said. "Get up!" he pretty much growled.

_Lucy and Erza said that Natsu fought with one of the mages before on the train. This must be the same guy then._ I thought, as the green look on Natsu's face all but vanished.

Having heard this mages voice was enough to bring him back to himself apparently.

"I know that voice." I heard him mutter, as he sat up on his own.

Seeing enough, Erza took a couple of steps forward.

"We aren't threatened by any of you! Now, tell me what you plan to do with _Lullaby_!" Erza demanded, as Erigor's evil smirk only widened at the question.

"Oh, I see you haven't heard yet." Erigor said, as he used some of his magic to begin levitating over his men, making him out to be an air mage from the look of it. "What do I plan to do with the Lullaby? Well, what do all train stations have? I'll give you a little hint." He mocked, as he landed on the lacrima speakers that stood situated all throughout the train station.

If the answer wasn't startingly clear, then I don't know what would have been. Not only that, but he just confirmed Erza's worst fear in this situation as well. Broadcasting the death song from the demon flue known as Lullaby would kill everyone that's standing outside right now, and so would anybody with an open window or door.

Then there's the matter of that boy I took back home before I came here to help out Lucy and the others. He and his mother were heading out to work on their garden when I left, seeing as it had been neglected during Alan's absence. There is no way in hell I'm going to let this bastard get that far, not when that family was just brought back together again.

"There's hundreds of nosy people outside, standing around to try and catch a glimpse of the action that's about to go down in here." Erigor said, as he let out another laugh. "Who knows, maybe if I turn the volume up enough, I'll be able to mass murder the entire city!"

"Yeah, if you don't drop dead first." I said, as Erigor immediately stopped laughing. Seeing as I had his attention, I continued. "Lullaby kills everyone who hears it's song. That would include not only us Fairy Tail mages and all of Oshibana, but you and your dark mages as well. So, it wouldn't just be mass murder, it would be mass suicide seeing as all of you are in this together."

"That point aside, what reason do you have to commit such a heinous crime against so many innocent people!?" Erza demanded once more, pulling Erigor's attention away from me.

"Well, even if we do drop dead, at least the cleansing we set out to do will be achieved." Erigor explained, as he dropped the maniacal humor and became a bit serious. "A cleansing of all the fools out there who have failed to appreciate all of the _rights_ they hold so dear. Acting like they're so high above those who have had them stripped away. For turning a blind eye to it all, the Reaper is coming to punish them." He declared, narrowing his eyes at us. "And if you flies had just left well alone, then maybe you would have gotten to live another few days at least…"

Scoffing at those words, I simply crossed my arms as I waited for the inevitable fight to start. After all of that, I'm beyond trying to talk this idiot out of his schemes.

"But killing a lot of innocent people isn't going to get you your rights back! If anything, it'll only make matters worse!" Lucy argued back. "That's why you ended up getting kicked out of your wizarding league in the first place."

"Unfortunately for your little speech, we've reached the point where we've given up trying to get our rights back. All we want now is power. Power that we can use to break the chains of the past and take control of the future!" Erigor shot back.

Lucy opened her mouth to continue arguing, but I placed a hand on her shoulder. When she looked over at me, I turned to glance at her for a second before looking back at our enemy.

"They're not going to listen to reason Lucy. Might as well save your energy for when we take them down." I told her, as Lucy nodded her head once.

"Yeah, these guys are definitely insane." She said, as the mage who had growled at Natsu earlier knelt down to the ground.

"We may be insane, but we're still rolling in a new age of _darkness_!" the mage said, as he began releasing his magic. "Then again, by the time it gets here, you flies will have been long gone!" he declared, as the shadows at his feet began rushing towards us.

However, before they could make contact with any of us, Natsu hopped up from his sitting position, and dispelled the shadow attack with his flames.

"You!" the mage shouted in surprise, only to cause Natsu to smirk at him.

"Eisenwald Dude! I knew I recognized your voice." Natsu replied, as a bead of sweat began dripping down the shadow mage's temple.

"Wow, you sure took your time to bounce back, huh?" I asked my fellow slayer, as Lucy and Happy muttered how happy they were that Natsu was finally back to normal.

"Yeah, well, we still have us a party here, don't we?" he shot back, as Lucy began waving her hands and shaking her head no at him.

"No, Natsu! We have to fight these guys!" she fussed, as I nudged her leg with my foot.

"That's what he means, my dear blonde sister." I told her, as Lucy blinked at me, then became sheepish at her blonde moment.

"Precisely Icelynn, a good fight _is_ my kind of party." Natsu agreed, as he punched one hand with his other.

Using his wind magic again, Erigor lifted himself back into the air, pulling our attention back to him.

"Enough of this! You flies have flown right into my trap." Erigor said, as he looked down his nose at us for a moment, then back down at his guild. "I leave these Fairy Tail flies to you. Show them the terror of the dark guild Eisenwald!" he ordered, before using his wind magic to vanish before our very eyes.

Taking a whiff of the air, I couldn't really pin-point the direction he went in

_Damn it, he must have sent a few drafts of his scent in different directions when he dispelled from that spot._ I thought, as I looked back at my guild mates. _The only question now, is what are we going to do about this?_

"Natsu, Gray, go! I need you to find and stop him." Erza ordered, as she kept her gaze on the dark mages before us as well. So, she didn't see it when Natsu and Gray put their foreheads together, glaring daggers at each other. "If you two work together, not even _Erigor the Reaper_ can stop you." She finished, as she then finally glanced their way.

Seeing the way that they were looking at each other, her gaze darkened.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY!" she snapped at them in a scary tone that had me raising an eyebrow.

Hearing it, Natsu and Gray both dropped the angry glares for frightened happy ones as they each put an arm around the other's shoulders.

"Aye!" they both said at the same time, much like Happy would have, before turning and running in a random direction as fast as they could go. All while never dropping their arms from their shoulders. Seeing this, I couldn't help but blink in confusion at the direction they had left in. Once they were out of sight, I turned to look at Lucy, silently asking her if I had indeed just seen what I had thought I did.

At her nod, I could then see why Gray was saying not to get on her bad side. Apparently, he found her ire to be frightening. While I do admit that Erza's intent gaze did make me feel a bit uneasy, I wouldn't really say that I was scared of her. Shaking the thoughts from my mind, I turned my full attention to the task at hand. Sadly, at least two mages managed to slip by Lucy, Erza, and I before we could stop them.

One was that shadow mage from before, and the other was a guy wearing a hat designed to look like the colors of a bumble bee.

"The three of us will catch up with Natsu and Gray once we've taken care of the dark mages here, okay." Erza said, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Sure. Cracking a few skulls isn't something I'm going to complain about." I said, as I cracked my knuckles. I didn't have any sort of fighting in that tracking job, so it would be nice to let loose for a bit.

"Wait! Just us three girls against an entire guild?" Lucy asked, becoming nervous. Ignoring her, I nodded towards the left, seeing as I stood to the left of Lucy, and Erza stood to her right. Catching my gesture, Erza nodded her head, and turned her gaze towards the right of the guild mages.

Lucy wasn't aware of it, but I had left her the middle section of mages to take out with either Taurus or Cancer. Thankfully, there's no water, so she can't call out the sea hag. Shuddering at the thought of all the times Aquarius has made me seasick, I shoved those thoughts back as a few of the dark mages began trying to trash talk us.

"Mama told me to never hit girls, but I'll make an exception for you ladies." I heard one of them say, as another slapped that mage across the back.

"Yeah, it's too bad none of you will look as cute when we're done with you." This one said, as Lucy took on what she the thought was a cute, appealing pose.

"But without my stunning beauty, I'll be so helpless!" she said, as I gently smacked her upside the head.

"Focus, sis." I told her, as Erza held up one of her hands.

"Let's do this!" she said, as a red magic circle appeared before her armored hand. A bright light emerged from the center of this circle, and when it faded, a magical silver sword appeared out of thin air.

_She's a Re-Quip Mage_. I thought in awe, as Erza caught the handle of the sword deftly in her right hand. This wasn't the first time I've seen this type of magic, but it's been years. Pushing my thoughts back, yet again, I focused on the fight I'm currently in here and now.

The moment Erza became armed, some of the mages who also carried magic swords rushed her. It only took Erza a few moments to cut them out of the fight for good. Once they were down though, some of their unhappy buddies rushed at her next. Seeing them coming, Erza summoned that red circle again, and this time the sword changed into a spear. Using the spear until it became too much of a hassle with the change of the crowd of enemies around her, Erza then switched the spear out for a set of twin blades.

It was easy to see why she was an S-Class mage now.

"How is she doing that!? First it was a sword, then a spear, then swords again!" Lucy asked, as she watched Erza fight in awe.

"it's called Re-Quip." I said, as I looked at the left side I had asked to take on before Erza got rushed. They were currently distracted by Erza's display of power, and I was planning on taking advantage of this before they could snap out of it. "Happy, I'll let you explain it to her. I'm going to take my portion out before they pick their jaws up from the floor." I said, as Happy gave me an _Aye_, and began explaining Erza's magic to Lucy.

Taking a few steps in their direction, I then rushed at the left side of the dark mages.

"ICE DRAGON WING ATTACK!" I shouted, as I unleashed my magic upon the unsuspecting mages. Not only did this startle the mages but made them sit still long enough for me to shave off the first row of them standing before me.

Once they were out of the way, I switched to my ice dragon claws, and began hacking and slashing through my enemies. I didn't kill them though, just their weapons. While I finished off the last few from my side, I felt a hostile presence back behind me. Figuring that it must have been one of the mages I'd only grazed in my initial attack, I turned to take them out, only to pause as their eyes went wide. Then, not a second later, the sword the guy was about to swing at me fell to pieces. So did the top section of his hair.

Dropping the now useless weapon, the dark mage placed both hands on top of his bald head. Feeling mortified, the guy practically fainted on the spot.

Letting out the breath I had begun holding, I looked over to see Lucy giving me a thumbs up, with Cancer standing next to her. Nodding my thanks, I then began helping Cancer take out Lucy's portion. Once they were down, I spotted Erza giving us impressed looks.

"I didn't know you were a dragon slayer as well Icelynn. Of ice if I heard your spell correctly." Erza said, as she jumped back to examine what was left of our enemy mages.

"Yeah. I was raised by a dragon like Natsu too. Storm the Ice Dragon was his name." I answered, as Erza then turned to look at Lucy.

"And your magic is also impressive Lucy. I didn't know you could summon spirits." Erza continued, as Lucy gave her a big smile.

"Thanks, Erza! It's not a big deal or anything…" Lucy said, trying to be modest in her abilities. I could see the gleam in her eyes from it though. From that, I knew that she was just looking to score points.

"However," Erza continued, making Lucy pause. I couldn't help but feel a bit amused at this. I knew what was about to happen because I've heard the tone Erza is currently using before from my dragon. "The way he calls you _baby_… I find it rather insulting. And Icelynn, are you really alright with this crab spirit of hers calling your sister that?" she asked, as the mischievous gleam in Lucy's eyes died.

"That's between him and Lucy. It's their contract after all." I said, as Lucy muttered something about _un-scoring points_.

While the three of us, plus Happy had our little exchange, a few of the mages we had just put down seemed to have gotten back up. Seeing it, I went back on the defensive. If my wing attack didn't put enough of them down, my breath attack definitely would.

"There are still many of them, aren't there." I heard Erza mutter to herself. "It's annoying, but we'll wipe them out… Icelynn!" Erza called, as I turned to look at her. As I did though, I saw that red circle again, however; instead of it being around the hand she was summoning her next weapon to, it sat on the ground at her feet.

I knew Re-Quip magic allowed you to exchange the weapons stored in your dimensional space, but I didn't know that some cases allowed a mage to change their armor as well.

"Once I give my signal, attack them with all you have." Erza ordered, as she became engulfed in the bright light from before. As it did, the armor she had already been wearing faded away. And when the light faded, she stood before us wearing a completely different set of armor.

It was beautiful to say the least. A white necklace, and skirt, and a casing of silver metal protected her arms, feet, her waist, her sides. And on her shoulders sat what looked like wings. Wings that her tiara like helm mirrored. On her left arm, I spied a dark blue Fairy Tail emblem.

Then, with a flair of her magic, she summoned several more swords identical to the two she had originally summoned with the armor. Without a second to lose, Erza then rushed her enemies with her swords. Ones she held, and ones she did not. She took out about two thirds of them, and the ones that were left, stood in a way that a good roar would easily wipe them out.

"Icelynn! Now!" Erza shouted, as her request of me came crashing back to the forefront of my mind. Giving her a quick nod, I pulled both Lucy and Happy back behind me to keep them from getting caught up in my attack as well.

"ICE DRAGON ROAR!" I shouted, as I unleashed a blizzard from my lungs onto the remaining mages. When that was over with, only two mages were left standing. Two that had dodged it when they saw me move my sister and Happy out of the way. One of which, looked at Erza with more terror in his eyes than his guild mates.

The other guy, he just looked pissed, as he summoned his own magic to his hands. When Erza leveled an even gaze at this mage, he rushed her.

"Don't do it! Do you know who that woman is!? She's _Titania Erza: Queen of the Fairies_!" the other, more terrified mage shouted after his guild mate. Apparently, he must have recognized Erza. That or he heard one of us mention her name. Either way, his warning was useless, considering his guild mate ignored him, and was cut down by Erza as well.

Once that guy was down, the last mage turned tail and began running.

"Fuck this shit! I'm out!" he shouted, as he scurried down the hallway opposite to the one Natsu and Gray had run down earlier. As he left, Erza then turned to face Lucy and me.

"I imagine that he's going to try and find Erigor. You two should go after him and make sure that doesn't happen. Icelynn, with your dragon slayer abilities, you should be able to track him, yes?" she asked, as I nodded my head once.

"Wait, wouldn't Icelynn on her own be a better choice?" Lucy asked, as Erza gave her the same look she had given Natsu and Gray earlier.

"Just do it." She said, gritting her teeth. Seeing it, Lucy took off running pretty much in the same way as the mage we're being tasked with finding. As she did, I turned to look back at Erza. It was ever so slight, but I could see that her eye was twitching, but not from annoyance. More like exhaustion, not to mention that her pulse sounded like one that was coming down from exercise or adrenaline. At this, I couldn't help but wonder if she had maybe, poured a little too much of her magical energy into that SE Vehicle they arrived here in.

"Catch up with us when you can. Unless you want to see how Gray and Natsu are coming along that is." I said, as I turned and began jogging after my sister. Not before I caught the look of surprise on Erza's face though. Just before I got through the door, I could hear her mutter a soft _thank you_ towards me.

_As I thought, she was trying to play tough to keep us from worrying about her… Can't say that I blame her._ I thought, as I caught up with Lucy.

Honestly, I can't blame Erza, because I'm the same way.

To this very day, Lucy is unaware of the darker parts of my past. Jude never told her and forbid me from ever speaking of it again. At the time, it suited me just fine. I didn't want to talk about my two years of being someone's lab rat. The only thing that plagues me from that time now are the nightmares. Bad dreams I always tell Lucy I'm fine over. Just so I can protect her from even a fraction of the hell I suffered.

Although, I suspect that I might end up having to sit down and tell her why one of these days…

_Focus Icelynn, you'll cross that bridge when you come to it_. I told myself, as I tried to follow the scent of that dark mage that fled from us earlier.

Sadly, I couldn't seem to get a good trail to follow. Not long after he had started going down this hallway, his scent went from distinct, to everywhere. The stones and floor smelled like fresh earth to me, so I guess this guy is an earth mage. Unlike my situation with Alan Swan, this guy has been practicing it for many years, so tracking this guy might be a bit harder to do.

"Where did that fat one go?" I heard Lucy grumble with Happy flying close beside her.

"I don't know, but you and Icelynn had better hurry up and find him, or else Erza's going to strangle you guys…" Happy taunted us in a sing song voice. Lucy squeaked in slight fear, while I only gave the little blue cat a droll stare.

"I hope not! I can see why everyone says she's scary though…" Lucy trailed off, as I tried for the _hundredth_ time to find a scent trail.

"Lucy… You do realize he's messing with you, right?" I asked my sister, who blinked at me a couple of times, then turned a full force glare on Happy; who could only turn his head and whistle a little tune, like he knew not what we spoke. Grumbling at him a bit, Lucy then turned to look back at me with a questioning look.

"Wait a second. How come you don't seem to be phased by her Icelynn?" Lucy asked, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"She just doesn't scare me. Although, with Erza being an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail and a natural leader due to her status, I can see why some would find her intimidating. Such a rank would garner fear or respect. Or like most of the guild, have both for her in equal spades." I explained, as I stopped to look back at my sister. "As for why I still do as she asks, despite not being scared of her, it's because I respect her and her experience. With the gravity of these circumstances, had the Master been at Fairy Tail instead of the conference in Clover, I think this would probably have been an emergency S-Class mission because of what Lullaby is. Due to this, Erza has to lead us on this mission. Hence her _bossiness_ as I've heard you and Happy mutter a few times now."

At my words, Lucy blinked a couple of times at my revelation.

"Wow, when you put it that way, it makes sense. Erza's really cool, isn't she?" Lucy wondered, as Happy nodded in agreement.

With that cleared up, I turned to try to look for a scent trail _again_, however, this loud rushing sound had me pausing. For some reason, this sound put me on high alert. Noticing my posture, Lucy began to tense up as well.

"Icelynn? What's wrong?" she asked me in a near whisper.

"Stick close you two, I need to see something." I told them, ignoring Lucy's question, and began leading them to where I could see outside. When we finally found a window, I saw that the sound I had heard before was a strong wind.

Not the kind you'd find in the earlier part of the year, but more like that of a tornado. Now imagine being in the middle of a tornado, and all you can see is the cutting wind that swirls in it. That's what Lucy, Happy, and I were currently seeing right now…

"What is that?" Lucy asked, as she and Happy looked on nervously.

"I don't know… Looks like it might be some kind of wind barrier. Erigor must have put it up." I answered, as I tried to think of why he would do such a thing. Lullaby hadn't been cast yet, seeing as the three of us are still up and moving about instead of being dead on the floor.

"But why would he do that? He threatened to play Lullaby over the station's loudspeakers, putting that thing up before playing it would hinder his plans." Lucy reasoned, as I fully agreed with her.

"Yeah, your right. Something isn't adding up here." I said, as I thought over Oshibana's layout. "If I were Erigor, and wanted to kill hundreds using Lullaby, then I would have gone for a place with a PA system closer to the center of town. Like the town hall for example. With his ability to fly, he could have avoided the train all together, and gone straight there." I reasoned, as Lucy began to catch on to my thoughts.

"If that's the case, then they needed the train station for something, right?" she asked, as she put a finger to her chin in thought. "Then there's that wind barrier." She added as an afterthought, then it hit me.

"Fuck!" I swore, startling Happy and Lucy both.

"Icelynn, what's wrong?" Lucy asked, as Happy landed on her shoulder.

"We have to forget about that mage we were chasing and get back to Erza and the others. Now!" I told them, as I grabbed Lucy's hand and began running back in the direction we had come from.

"Hold on! Won't she be furious if we come back without having stopped that guy from finding Erigor?" Lucy protested, as I just kept running.

"With what you just helped me to piece together, she won't be for long." I answered. "That guy, and the mages we fought, even you guys being lured here to the train station here at Oshibana was all a trap. Once we were busy fighting his guild members, Erigor put up that wind barrier to keep us here. I doubt he ever planned on using the Lullaby here to begin with. That point I made earlier, about what would happen when the death song is played, that's a real concern for his goals. No, he's going to save it for his _real_ targets." I explained, as Lucy took her hand from me to run on her own.

"So, if the citizens of Oshibana aren't his real targets, then who is?" she asked, as I began to get a bad feeling.

"You were also right about the station here being necessary… Where does the railway connected to this station end?" I asked, as Lucy became horrified.

"You mean he's going to Clover!" she answered.

"Yes… Clover can only be accessed either from the railways, or by flying there. Then there's what Erigor told us about the whole _rights _thing. I think he's planning an attack on the Guild Master's Conference. The very same one you guys told me Master Makarov is currently at. I bet you his original plan was to take his entire guild up there through the trains." I explained, as a small smirk appeared on my face. "However, in true Fairy Tail fashion, you guys crashed the party. In doing so, he had to change the plan to take us out of the picture."

"So, he's probably already flying there as we speak." Lucy finished, as I nodded my head once.

"Exactly! Had all of us been beaten by his guild, then I bet he ordered them to take the train the rest of the way to Clover." I said, as we finally reached the area that she, Erza, and I had fought the majority of the dark guild. Luckily for us, Erza had tied them up, and was currently questioning one that had woken up.

"Tell me! What is Erigor planning!?" she demanded of what looked to be the mage that rushed her before that other one ran off.

"I don't know lady! I ain't one of the ones he tells that shit to!" the guy swore, as Erza looked like she was ready to throttle him.

"Erza!" I called, gaining her attention. Narrowing her eyes, she waited until Lucy and I got a bit closer before she spoke.

"What are you two doing here? I thought you were after that mage that escaped earlier." She demanded, as Lucy and Happy both squeaked and hid behind me.

"I couldn't find him, but we have bigger problems than him right now." I answered, ignoring the two quivering behind me. "Erigor never planned on using Lullaby here in Oshibana, he's going to Clover with it. He's going after the guild masters at that conference, I'm sure of it." I said, as Erza turned the scariest glare I've ever seen on the man she had been questioning when we found her.

_Okay, now that's a scary face._ I thought, as I became happy that I wasn't where that mage was. Poor bastard looked like he was ready to piss and shit himself…

"Why didn't you tell me?!" she demanded, as the guy pretty much passed out. Disgusted with his weak constitution, Erza simply dropped him back where he must have been sitting just before she started in on him. Standing up, Erza then turned to face us.

"Well, that would certainly explain things." Erza said, as she thought over what I had just told her. However, before either of us could say anything else, I caught another familiar scent. Turning to look at the railing that exposed part of the second floor, I spotted Gray looking down at us. From the way he was panting, I bet he was looking for the rest of us as well.

Following my gaze, Erza, Lucy, and Happy spotted Gray as well.

"I see you guys found out what they were planning." Gray said, as he hopped over the railing. Landing in a crouch, Gray straightened up and walked over to where we were standing.

"Gray, where's Natsu? I thought I put you two together." Erza asked, as Gray shrugged his shoulders.

"We had to split up. I fought with a mage that must have chased after us, and I got him to tell me almost exactly what I heard Icelynn say when I got here just now." Gray said, as he put his hands in his pockets.

"While that is a problem, I fear we have a bigger issue to take care of before that though. Until we find a way to dispel that wind barrier, we can't do anything to stop Erigor." Erza said, as she grasped her right elbow with her left hand. Apparently, it was injured.

"Yeah, if we try busting straight through that, we'll get turned into mincemeat." Gray said, as I grabbed a random green bandanna off of the ground. Figuring that it had belonged to one of the mages we fought with before, I checked it over to make sure it didn't have any blood or anything on it.

"Well, we can count that as a fact, considering that it looks like Erza already tried that approach." I said, as I tore the bandanna in half.

At my words, both Lucy and Gray turned to look at the way Erza held herself.

"Damn, your right." Gray said, as Erza gave him a look that asked him to drop it.

"Never mind that right now, it's not important. What we need to do is figure out how to get out of here.

Moving to stand next to Erza, I folded up one half of the bandanna into a square and froze it solid. Wrapping that in the other half to keep the iced cloth from her skin, I then held it up for her to see.

"Wrong. Injuries of any kind are important. When you get a second to treat them like we have right now, you'd better do it. Not doing so would run a bigger risk of failing a mission. And I'm sorry, but S-Class wizard or not, I won't have any of that. Especially when not only are the lives of the masters at stake, but Clover's people as well." I said, as I had Erza move her hand away from her arm.

As I spoke, I pulled down the glove Erza wore to keep the straps of her armor from rubbing her skin raw to take a look. Not hearing anyone talking as I did so, I paused to look up at everyone. Gray, Lucy, and Happy looked to be shocked that I even dared to question Erza. As for Erza, she was looking off to the side sheepishly, having accepted my point. Seeing as she's letting me treat this and all.

"That means you guys need to start brainstorming. Preferably now rather than later." I told them, as I then began inspecting Erza's injury.

This must have been enough to snap them out of it, considering that they shook their heads to get back on track.

"Alright, we need to get free from the barrier surrounding the station." Erza began, as she remembered something. "Back at the pub I heard about all of this from, I seem to remember one of them being called _Kage_, and that he was going to break a seal." She said, as Lucy rocked back and forth where she stood. Having finally calmed down.

"So, in addition to shadow magic, he must also have _dispelling_ abilities. If that's the case, he must have been the one to break the seal on Lullaby in the first place." Lucy deduced, as Erza nodded in agreement.

"If that's the case, then he could be able to take down the wind barrier for us." I said, as I placed the cold cloth over Erza's injury, and pulled her glove back up to where it was supposed to be to keep it in place. Luckily for Erza, it would just end up being a nasty bruise. Better than a broken bone in my book.

"Then I say we need to find him." Gray said, as Erza hummed in agreement, while I stood back from her personal space.

"Agreed. Let's begin looking for him." Erza said, as we all nodded in agreement.

"Did the guy you got to tell you Erigor's plan use shadows, Gray?" Lucy asked, as Gray shook his head no.

"If that's so, then this _Kage_ must be tracking Natsu. If they've already started fighting, then we'll find them soon enough I suppose." I said, as we all turned and began taking to the halls again.

This time, I was on point, following Natsu's scent seeing as it would be our best lead. Next to me was Erza, and back behind us was Gray, Lucy, and Happy flying through the air again. As we walked, Gray got my attention.

"Hey Icelynn, was that ice magic you used back there, when you patched up Erza?" he asked, as I glanced back at him.

"Oh, I forgot that you didn't know yet." I said, as I turned to face the direction we were heading. "Yeah, but I don't practice ice magic in the sense of maker magic or anything." I answered, as Gray gave me an impressed and curious look.

"Really now, what form _do_ you practice then?" He asked, as I took another sniff of the air to make sure we were still behind Natsu.

"I'm the _Ice Dragon Slayer_." I answered, as Gray nearly tripped over himself.

"What! Get out!" Gray exclaimed, as we all worked our way through the halls. "I thought Natsu was the only one." He said, as Lucy chuckled beside him.

"I know right? I said the same thing about Icelynn when we first met Natsu and Happy in Hargeon. Icelynn was also raised by a dragon like Natsu too." Lucy said, as Happy gave his signature _Aye_.

"Well, holy shit. Although I'm surprised Icelynn and _Fire Breath_ get along if that's the case. We're usually at each other's throats." Gray continued, as Lucy put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Wow, now that you mention it, you do have a point… I wonder why that is?" Lucy asked no one in particular.

"Alright then, Icelynn, if you need a power boost, I'll throw some ice your way." Gray said, giving me a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Gray. If I need it, I'll definitely let you know." I thanked him, as a loud explosion sounded ahead of us, followed by the building shaking around from the shock wave.

"Icelynn, is Natsu's scent still ahead?" Erza asked, as I nodded my head once to show that we indeed were going in the right direction. "That must have been Natsu's handiwork then. Come on, let's go!" Erza said, as she took the lead, and the rest of us ran after her.

As we got closer to where Natsu and that shadow mage were, I began picking up on what was being said between them.

_Damn it! Look what you made me do! I was trying not to destroy things this time! Eh, at least I feel better now. Sorry I had to take you down a few pegs Diarama. _ That was Natsu.

_I told you already, my name is Kageyama!_ Kage, or Kageyama shot back.

By now, I could pick up Natsu's scent without even trying. Soon as we rounded a corner, we finally spotted him standing before that shadow mage we needed to find. The wall and floor behind and beneath him charred from Natsu's magic.

"Whatever! Now tell me where Erigor is!" Natsu demanded, pointing a finger at Kageyama.

"He's not anywhere near here anymore, you moron. He left a while ago, stupid fly." Kageyama said, as he chuckled from his spot on the floor.

"Natsu, wait! Do not harm him!" Erza shouted ahead of us, causing Natsu to look over his shoulder at us.

"Oh, hey guys!" He shouted at us, only for his happy smile to melt into terror as he saw the look and sword Erza had aimed for Kagayama's seated form. Only to blink in confusion when Erza sailed right past him and buried her sword right next to Kageyama's neck in the wall.

Poor Natsu was nearly scared to tears by this display…

"You will dispel the wind barrier, and you shall do so immediately without complaint." Erza told Kageyama in a low, dangerous tone that scared him about as shitless as Natsu currently was.

Speaking of Natsu, he currently sat on the side, feeling fear for Kageyama, begging him to just agree to Erza's demands. Muttering something about her being a real monster. Sighing heavily, I walked up behind Natsu and smacked him upside the head. Thankfully, this was enough to make Natsu snap out of it.

_Natsu reset._ I thought in boredom, as I turned to watch Erza interrogate Kageyama.

"Fine… I'll dispel it…" he agreed, clearly not wanting things to come down to bodily harm.

However, before Erza could have him move from the wall at the point of her sword, this brownish gold circle appeared on Kageyama's middle, followed by an arm. Which in turn, created a hole in the torso of the only hope we have of getting out of Oshibana. Letting out a yelp of pain, Kageyama was held up for only a moment before the arm retracted from his body, and the circle disappeared, and he fell towards the floor.

"Kuraka… Why?" Kageyama asked, as he went.

Luckily, Erza was able to catch him before he hit the floor. Snapping myself out of the shock, I looked back at the wall to see that mage Erza had asked Lucy and I to track earlier, sticking halfway out of the wall. Apparently, I was right about him being able to use earth magic, seeing as he could bend and warp the stone walls to his will.

Not wanting to give him the chance to escape me a second time, I darted to the wall before _Kuraka_ could slink back through it and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Seeing me coming, he tried to flee, but he was a little too slow. Keeping a firm hold of him, I ripped him from the wall, and held him up, baring my fangs at him.

"Kuraka, right? Where the fuck do you think you're going?" I asked him, a low growl escaping me. My silent warning that it would be in his best interest to surrender.

All the bastard could do was whimper at me. Scoffing at his cowardly nature, I kicked his feet out from underneath him, and made him park himself on his knees next to me; until we figure out how to punish this back stabber anyway, all while still holding him by the scruff of his neck. Dark guild or not, I don't take kindly to traitors who try to kill their comrades. Especially with such cowardice. With how he's acting though, I wouldn't be surprised if someone had put him up to this.

"I'll only say this once, try to fight me or escape, and I'll show you how to properly assassinate someone with a hand through the chest." I warned him, making the guy begin sobbing quietly.

"Kage!" Erza shouted, not having heard his full name yet, as she kneeled next to him to assess the damage.

"No! Damn it all, he was our only way out of here." Gray cursed, as he and Lucy followed Erza in kneeling beside Kageyama's wounded form.

"Kage, you have to hang on. You're our only way out of here." Erza told him, as Kageyama laid there in a lot of pain, as his blood began painting the floor the color of Erza's hair.

Watching on with a look of horrified shock, Natsu then suddenly erupted into flames. Looking over at him, I could see that he was now angry, and it was being directed at Kuraka, whom I currently held prisoner.

"How could you!?" Natsu demanded, as Kuraka began cowering away from him in fear. "He was one of your friends, and you just tried to kill him!" Natsu shouted, his fists clenched tightly.

Feeling a lot of fear, Kuraka then began trying his damn hardest to get away from me and the fire mage trying to take a shot at him. Completely ignoring what I had told him. While I never intended to kill him, and I don't want Natsu's flaming fist to hit me on accident, because I would then have to beat his flaming ass; I pretty much threw Kuraka to Natsu to solve all my problems.

Sure enough, Natsu was able to hit him right on target, knocking him through the wall he had first appeared out of, and out of commission.

"Kage! Wake up!" I heard Erza yell, as I glanced over at the others.

"He's unconscious, Erza. Besides, I don't think he'd be able to use his magic in this condition. It may prove to be too much for him." Lucy protested, as Erza then began trying to shake Kageyama awake.

"If I force him to, he will!" she declared, as she kept trying to shake him awake. Making the poor guy's head bounce off the floor due to the violence Erza used to shake him with.

_She keeps doing that, he'll die from head trauma instead._ I thought tiredly, as I turned and stepped through the hole Kuraka had flown through. Grabbing the now unconscious earth mage by the leg, I then proceeded to drag him back out through the hole in the wall where I could see better. Once I had him back in the room with the others and his half-dead guildmate, I then froze his arms behind his back and his legs together to keep him from running away or using anymore of his magic.

Thankfully, by the time I was done, someone had finally gotten Erza to stop shaking the seriously wounded shadow mage.

"Damn it!" Erza cursed, as she stood up from Kageyama. Taking a deep breath, she tried to think of a plan. "Alright, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, I want you four to go and try to find any medical supplies that you can and bring them back here. Icelynn, you seem to know a bit of first aid, I want you to try and do what you can for Kage until the others get back with the supplies."

With a nod, we all moved to do what we had been asked. With Erza's help, I managed to get Kageyama's coat and shirt off. Seeing as they were now ruined, I felt no remorse at bundling up the coat to lay Kageyama down on, and the shirt to hold to his front. It wouldn't do much good until the others come back with the first aid things, but it was all I'll be able to do for now.

"We've sure gotten ourselves into some trouble now, haven't we?" I asked sarcastically, as Erza began pacing in front of the hole Natsu had put Kageyama's traitorous friend through.

"You can say that again…" Erza grumbled. "How bad is he?" she asked after a moment.

"From what I saw of the wound, had Kuraka used brute force instead of magic to hurt him, there's no way he would have survived." I said, as I kept pressure on the dark mage's wounds. "Kageyama's still not out of the woods yet though, and I have to agree with Lucy. There's no way he's going to be able to use his magic like this. He may very well die if he tries." I finished, all while trying to ignore the strong stench of blood that coated Kageyama and now my hands.

"Then we're truly trapped here, aren't we…" Erza said in dismay, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her statement. It was hard to believe with how confident she was earlier. Yeah, it was hopeless at the moment, but this shit still isn't over quite yet…

"We'll just have to find another way out." I said, as I looked up from Kageyama. This strange need to comfort and change Erza's mind consuming me. "Master Makarov didn't have to let Lucy and I into Fairy Tail when Natsu brought us to the guild. Hell, he didn't even ask us where we came from, how we came to be sisters or anything. He just accepted us as we were. Back home, that's all Lucy and I ever wanted… I haven't been with Fairy Tail for very long, but I can't help but feel like I just found my _real_ home. So, I'll be damned before I let Erigor anywhere near him or the other guild masters."

After I stopped speaking, I then became a little shy. To be honest, I don't know where all those words came from. Maybe it's from all the times I had to talk Lucy up from tearing herself down. Either way, I tried my best to regain my composure.

"Sorry… You probably don't want to hear such a thing from a total newbie." I apologized, as I looked back down at Kageyama. Feeling a little bit like a hypocrite.

"Don't be…" Erza said, causing me to look back at her. "To be honest Icelynn, thank you. I let my despair get to me for a moment, and I needed to hear something along those lines. I will do my best to not let it happen again." She said, as she gave me a small smile. "Besides, it warms my heart that another of my comrades feels that way. Fairy Tail does have its way of making family out of its members. From what I saw of you and Lucy today, wherever it was you two came from, sure won't be getting you back."

At this, I couldn't help but return the smile Erza was giving me.

"Damn straight… Although, I wouldn't go back even if Fairy Tail disappeared one day anyway. So, no worries there." I said, as Erza nodded her head in understanding.

"Good point…" she agreed, as we both began hearing footsteps. Tensing up, I took a sniff at the air to make sure it was Natsu and the others returning before allowing myself to relax once more.

Thankfully for Kageyama, the four showed up not long after we heard them coming. Taking what I needed of the massive amount of medical supplies Natsu and Gray had brought me, Lucy and I with the help of Erza set about bandaging Kageyama's wounds. Luckily for all of us, Kageyama stayed knocked out the entire time. Once he was bandaged, Erza then instructed Natsu and Gray on how to properly carry the wounded Kageyama without being too rough with him.

When they had him, we all then began making our way to the front of the train station, and that section of the wind barrier that surrounded the place. As I followed behind my sister and my guild mates, I tried to focus on the task we had ahead.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the destruction that was about to come…

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Next Chapter: Chapter 6 – Melody of Death

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MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Melody of Death

As we reached the front doors leading into Oshibana station, I held one side of the double doors open, while Lucy held the other. While we waited for the boys to bring Kageyama through, Erza strode outside to take another good look at the wind barrier that still held us prisoner here. Once Natsu and Gray were clear with their burden, Luce and I let the doors fall closed once more and proceeded to help the boys lay Kageyama down as gently as possible.

While Lucy helped me to check on Kageyama's wounds, Gray and Erza filled Natsu in on the true purpose of Erigor's scheme.

"What!? He's going after Gramps and the other guild masters!?" Natsu shouted, becoming angry at this new information.

"It's the only thing that makes sense, not to mention Gray managed to get one of the Eisenwald members to talk before he defeated him." Erza said, as she crossed her arms and cast a scowl at the wind barrier. "We have to stop Erigor before he can play that flute at the Guild Master Conference Hall, but to do that, we have to find a way to break through this cursed thing first."

"Agreed… If we could only get out of here, we could easily catch up to him with the SE vehicle." Gray said, as Lucy and I finished inspecting Kageyama. Standing up, we caught Erza's concerned gaze.

"Has there been any changes?" she asked, as I shook my head no.

"He's still out cold." I answered.

"Icelynn's done what she can for him for now, but I'm pretty sure he still needs to go to a hospital as soon as we can get him to one." Lucy added, as we moved over to join where the others now stood.

"Any ideas on how to get through the barrier yet?" I asked, as a flash of flame rushed by us.

Turning to find the source, we all watched as Natsu tried to slam a flaming fist into the barrier to try and break it. Sadly, the poor fire slayer only ended up being thrown back for his troubles. All Lucy and I could do was blink at him.

_Well to be fair, we shouldn't be surprised that he would take the direct approach._ I thought, as Natsu hopped back on his feet.

"Um… Natsu?" Lucy said nervously, as Natsu charged at the wind barrier once more.

Letting out a battle cry, Natsu began throwing a series of punches and kicks at it. When the barrier retaliated this time, he was thrown a little further back than what he had been before. Nearly passing Kageyama, shockingly enough. While he did that, Erza went to kneel down at the wounded mage's side and began trying to talk him into waking up. A useless effort on her part with those injuries, I'm afraid.

"Natsu! Cut it out already! Obviously brute force won't be getting us out of here." Gray snapped, as Natsu hopped back on his feet, seemingly ignoring Gray as he glared at the barrier that stood between us and us saving the guild masters.

"Icelynn, Gray, do you guys think that you'd be able to freeze it? Then Natsu could melt it, or break it, or something!" Lucy suggested, as I shook my head no.

"Even if we could pull it off, it would be too dangerous. That wind looks like it could cut through anything in its path, and if we try to freeze it solid, and shards break off… We could either get one of us killed, or one of the residents outside." I said, as Erza spoke up.

"Before Erigor could trap all of us in here, I took one of the hand-held lacrima speakers and told the crowd outside to run for their lives. There shouldn't be anyone nearby." She said, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"We can't know that for sure. In every town, there's at least one stubborn idiot who'd rather go down with their home than flee." I said, as I crossed my arms. "And even if they all _did _evacuate; we could still get one of us hurt or worse."

Letting out a snarl, we all turned once again to see Natsu charge at the wind barrier once again. His entire body covered in flames this time as he threw his entire being at it, yelping in pain as he did so. Though, when he fell back this time, Lucy snaked her arms around him. Both to keep him from falling on his ass for a third time, and to prevent him from charging at the barrier again.

"Natsu, stop!" she begged him, as Natsu froze in her hold.

For a moment there, I thought that maybe Lucy's concern for him as our friend had touched him or something. However, as that cheeky smirk of his appeared when he turned to face my sister, all thoughts of that vanished. Yeah, that mischievous smirk doesn't fool me.

"W-what is it?" Lucy asked him, as a light blush coated her cheeks from how close Natsu stood to her.

For a moment, I waited for the inevitable kick Lucy likes to deliver in these sorts of awkward close encounters. However, when it didn't happen, I began to wonder if _maybe_ my sister had an unconscious thing for my fire slayer counterpart…

Either way, thoughts like these get a back seat for now. I'll have plenty of time to tease her about it later when we get Lullaby away from Erigor.

"I've got it!" Natsu declared, as he turned around to place his hands on Lucy's shoulders. "We can use your spirits!" he said, drawing a huge blank from Erza and Gray, and disbelief from Lucy and I.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Lucy asked him, as Natsu stood back from her.

"Oh, come on, you know! Remember that time at Everlue's place, I got taken from one place to another by being pulled through that spirit world place!" Natsu explained, as I put my face into my palm. I had to admit though, it was pretty freaky to behold.

"Natsu, that was a onetime thing that never should have happened in the first place. Like I told you once before, it's a serious breach of contract for a human to pass through a celestial gate into the spirit world." Lucy told him, her hands on her hips. "Even _if_ such a thing was allowed, we still wouldn't be able to go because humans would suffocate there. And to top all of it off… _Even _if we could pass through, and _breathe _there, the gate we'd have to pass through still wouldn't get us out of the barrier." She said, as Natsu became confused.

Sighing heavily, Lucy began breaking down her explanation into simpler terms.

"Okay, looks like I have to speak more plainly. Natsu, even if we _could _use the Celestial Spirit World to escape, we would need a _second_ celestial wizard outside of the barrier to open a gate." She said, as Natsu became even more confused.

"I'm really confused, Luce. Can't you just do it already?" Natsu asked, as I sighed heavily this time.

"Here an even more simplified version…" I said, as Natsu turned his confused expression my way. "She can't do it, Natsu. Doing so would cause her to lose the keys she contracted with."

"Oh, really?" He said, becoming a bit shocked.

"Yes…" Lucy confirmed with a nod of her head. "I didn't say anything back then because the gate key was Everlue's." she said, only for Happy to startle us with a yelp, making all of us all but jump out of our skins.

Looking around at him, Happy pulled the little green backpack he always wore around to his front and began digging through it.

"Lucy! I finally remember what I was trying to tell you before." He said, as he pulled out a gold key. "Check it out!" he said, as he held it up for all of us to see.

It was the celestial gate key to the Maiden Constellation.

"How the hell did you get your paws on Virgo's key!?" Lucy glared at the little blue cat. "Didn't anyone teach you that it's wrong to steal things from other people, even scum like Everlue!?" she demanded, as Happy tried to run away from _Scary Lucy_, only to end up having my sister grab his tail to keep him from doing so.

"But I didn't steal it, Virgo asked me to give it to you!" He pleaded, as the anger vanished from Lucy's face at once, causing her to let the poor little guy go.

"Come on you two, we don't have time for this shit." Gray said, as Natsu put a finger to his chin in thought…

"_Virgo_…" he echoed. "That name does sound familiar." He said, as I turned to face him.

"Well, it should." I said, as Natsu turned his attention to me as well. "Virgo was that gorilla maid you fought when we took that Everlue job." I finished, as the memory came back to him.

"Oh yeah, her…" he said, as I nodded my head once.

"If Happy has her key instead of Everlue, then his contract with her must have been terminated when he got arrested." I said, as Happy nodded his head once to confirm my speculation.

"It's true! After we left Mr. Melons house, Virgo came up to me, and said that she had wanted to sign a new contract with you Lucy." Happy explained, as Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, her look of impatience coming back.

"I'll have to deal with her later, Happy. We have bigger problems right now, you do realize that, right?" she said, as Happy began to look crestfallen.

"But Lucy, she…" Happy went to say, only for my sister to pinch his little face.

"SHUT UP! WHY CAN'T YOU ACT LIKE OTHER CATS!?" Lucy snapped at him, while Natsu and Gray backed away slowly. Muttering something about Lucy learning how to be scary from Erza or something.

"Lucy, don't be so harsh on the little guy." I chided, as Lucy turned her scary look at me.

"Butt out Icelynn! He's annoying me." She snapped at me.

Hearing it, I bared my fangs at her. Not at all phased by the look.

"And you're being a bitch for no fucking reason to a friend who is trying to give us some helpful information." I shot back. "I don't care how annoyed you get, if Happy has information that could be useful in getting us out of here, we'd better hear him out before we end up regretting it." I said, as Lucy let go of Happy's face, backing away from my scary aura like Natsu and Gray had done to hers. She only retreated a couple of steps though, before she looked like she was ready to shoot something back at me. However, Happy sitting down with such a sad face had us pausing.

"No, I'm sorry you guys… I'm just a weird cat who thought that since Virgo can drill holes, maybe she can help us get to the other side…" He said, as we all looked at him in shock.

Now that he mentioned it, back in Shirotsume when Lucy tried to get hired by Everlue long enough to get her hands on _Daybreak_, Virgo popped out of a hole to greet Lucy before Everlue came out to interview her himself. At the time, our focus was more on Everlue, and not what Virgo was able to do. Hell, we didn't even know she was a celestial spirit until he summoned her in battle.

"You're right! She can!" Lucy said, as she went to hug Happy with a big bright smile on her face, like her pinching his face hadn't occurred at all.

Not willing to let go of how she had acted just moments ago to the little blue cat, I simply grabbed her by the back of the spaghetti tank top she wore to hold her up.

"Don't you have something to say to Happy before you ask him _nicely_ for the gate key he has?" I asked her, as Lucy began to look sheepishly guilty. Seeing it, I let her go. Once she was free, she dropped down to her knees to be closer to Happy's level.

"My most sincere, humble apologies." She said, bowing her head once. Barely a few seconds after the words had left her lips, she snatched up Happy and began hugging him. "_Now pretty please give me the key_!?" she begged, as she rubbed her cheek on top of Happy's head.

"Get me some fish when we get back to Magnolia, and all will be forgiven." Happy said, becoming the embodiment of his namesake once more.

"It's a promise." She swore, as Happy handed her the key. Taking it from him, she then turned to launch herself at me, hugging me around my waist. "Icelynn! I'm sorry I snapped at you like that, please don't be mad at me!" she gushed, as I let out another sigh.

"Fine, I won't be mad. Just think before you go off on someone next time." I said, as I patted her soft blonde hair. "And I'm sorry I said you were a _bitch_."

Now that we sisters were good, Lucy let me go, and moved to stand a little further away from us. As she did so, I heard Erza quietly ask Gray and Natsu why they couldn't make up like Lucy and I just did. Ignoring it, I watched as Lucy stood as she normally would to summon a spirit. Giving us a nod, she held the key out before her.

"I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits! I beckon you to myside at once, pass through the gate!" she said, her magic glowing gold around her. "Open! Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"

As the incantation left her lips, a golden circle formed before my sister. Glowing brightly, a pink haired, blue eyed girl wearing a maid's uniform, and shackles with broken chains; who looked _nothing_ like the Virgo we saw before, appeared in the middle of it. She wasn't standing way over our heads anymore, and she actually had a flattering figure. Had it not been for her scent, these changes would have made me think we were standing before an entirely different celestial spirit.

Looking around at my friends, I could see that Natsu, Lucy, and Happy looked to be about as flabbergasted as I was. Gray who had never seen Lucy's magic before looked on in awe. Erza shared the look, but a little more toned down this time, seeing as she saw Lucy summon Cancer earlier to fight Eisenwald.

"You summoned me, Mistress? What can I do for you today?" Virgo asked, giving Lucy a bow.

"Uh… Who are you?" Lucy asked her, totally confused.

Natsu, on the other hand, just walked up to her like she was a friend he hadn't seen in some time. Apparently, he recognized her by scent like I did.

"What's up Virger? Long time no see, huh?" Natsu said, as the maid spirit before us gave him a smile. "You've seemed to have lost some weight since I saw you last."

"My name is _Virgo_, and it's nice to see you again as well. I apologize for any trouble I caused you the last time we met." Virgo corrected him, as Lucy turned wide eyes in my direction.

"Hold on, that's _Virgo_?" she asked, pointing at the newest spirit in her family.

"That's her. She looks different, but she still smells the same." I answered, as Lucy turned her bug eyes back to the maid spirit.

"Yeah, but she didn't just _loose weight_ as Natsu is suggesting!" Lucy protested, causing Gray to cast her a confused expression.

"Wait, how do you mean?" he asked, as Lucy continued to stare at everything with her bug eyes.

"Let me put it this way… When we first met Virgo, she stood at a height that would make Elfman look short, and she was pretty thick around her arms, legs, and middle." I answered, as I glanced at my fellow ice mage. "Don't ask me how though, because I don't have a damn clue."

"It's because I am a very loyal spirit, who would do whatever I must to please my wizard, that I try to take on the form I think my wizard would feel is the most appealing." Virgo said, answering the yet unspoken question that was obviously going to be asked.

"I don't know…" Natsu said, as he shrugged his shoulders… "I thought you looked pretty damn cool when you were big and tough looking." He said, as Virgo tilted her head to the side in thought.

"Is that so?" she said, before transforming into the gorilla maid half of us were originally expecting to see. Showing Gray and Erza exactly what I meant. "I can change to this if you like." Virgo said, her voice much deeper now.

"Virgo, no! I'm your wizard, and I like the other form better!" Lucy shouted, causing Virgo to immediately switch back into the form she had been in when Lucy summoned her.

"Yes, Mistress." Virgo said, her tone of a higher pitch now. Sighing in relief, Lucy moved to stand before Virgo.

"Alright, I'm sorry to ask you this, but can we work out the details of our contract later. We need to get out of the train station as soon as we can. People's lives are in danger, so do you mind helping us out?" Lucy asked, as Virgo nodded her head once.

"Yes, whatever you'd like to do Mistress." She said, as I noticed that she wasn't looking at Lucy in the eye. Following her stare, I saw her give the whip at Lucy's side a hungry look. Feeling a little put off by that look, I tried my best to ignore it. If Lucy and I can get used to Taurus' perverse behavior, I'm sure we'll learn to live with whatever fetish Virgo may seem to have.

"Hey, can we cut the _Mistress_ thing out, please?" Lucy asked, oblivious to what Virgo was looking at.

"How about _Queen_?" Virgo asked, as I began to wonder if she had a masochist-bondage type of fetish…

"No, I don't like that either." Lucy said, rejecting that nickname as well.

"Well then, how about _princess_?" Virgo asked once more, as the princess thing rubbed my sister's ego the right way.

"Oh… Well, I can't deny that I like that one." She admitted, as Gray, Natsu, and I all deadpanned.

"_Princess_… Really?" Gray said.

"She just had to use a name that would go to Luce's head…" Natsu muttered, as I nearly elbowed the both of them.

"At least you two don't have to live with her. She's going to be pointing this out to me for weeks…" I said, as Erza got up from where she had been kneeling next to Kageyama up until now. Moving to stand next to Lucy, she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's nice and all, but we need to get moving." She said, as Lucy was thankfully snapped out of the stupor Virgo's new name for her wizard had put my sister in.

"Understood." Virgo said, as she began using her magic to drill through the stone sidewalk that led into Oshibana station.

"Oh, wow! Look at her go! We'll be out of here in no time." Gray exclaimed excitedly as Virgo disappeared from sight.

While Virgo dug the tunnel that would allow us to finally leave Oshibana station, I asked Natsu to give me a hand, and moved over to where Kageyama laid unconscious. Indicating for Natsu to stand on his other side. Catching my drift, we then each pulled one of his arms across our shoulders and lifted him up between us.

"Natsu, Icelynn, what are you guys doing?" Gray asked us, as Lucy and Erza looked on at us in curiosity.

"Well, I'd feel guilty if we just left him here to die, and I think Ice over here feels the same way." Natsu said, using Lucy's nickname for me. I didn't hate the warm feeling it gave me inside, so I just went with it. He and all of Fairy Tail had become my friends when they accepted me and Lucy into their guild after all.

"Well to be fair, he can't exactly learn his lesson or pay for what he's done while dead, now can he?" I sarcastically asked my guild mates, as I thought about how easily I could have turned down a similar path if it hadn't been for Lucy… "Besides, sometimes all a person needs to turn their life around is a second chance." I said somberly, as I looked away to hide the melancholy, I knew I had in my eyes at the moment.

"Very well." Erza said, as I looked up once more to see her giving Natsu and I a small _proud_ smile of sorts. "Let's get out of here then." She said, as Gray backed off of us as well. Turning, they along with Lucy began making their way to the hole Virgo had made.

Following behind them, Natsu and I carefully lowered Kageyama down to Erza and Gray, before jumping down it ourselves. Once down, we took Kageyama back from them and headed for the other end of the tunnel. And before we knew it, we had handed Kageyama back off to Erza and Gray long enough to climb out of the other side after them into the intense wind Erigor's barrier created.

Taking him from the two, I then set about laying him back down to keep his wounds from being aggravated too much. When he was good, I knelt down so that my back was between him and the wind. As I did this, I saw Lucy climb out of the hole with Virgo behind her, holding down my sister's skirt.

"Wow, this wind is intense!" she shouted over the roar of wind.

"Princess! I'll keep your panties from showing!" Virgo declared, while her more flowy skirt whipped around all over the place, giving a very red-faced Gray an eyeful.

"We don't have time to worry about such things! We need to reach Clover!" Erza said, as Kageyama scoffed at us, causing him to cough a bit for the effort.

"It's no use…" he said in a low voice. "You'll never reach Erigor in time. We've won."

At his words, I could almost hear the kind of comments Natsu would say in my mind. Only for it to dawn on me that Natsu had yet to say anything back to Kageyama's face. Looking around, I saw that he was missing.

"Where did Natsu go?" I asked out loud, as Erza, Gray, and Lucy began checking around our immediate vicinity.

"Happy's gone too." Gray said, as Lucy began to look a little worried.

"They must have flown off to try and find Erigor before he can reach Clover." Erza guessed, as she turned to look at the SE Vehicle. "Then we need to get going as well." She said, as she moved over to Kageyama's other side.

Reaching down, I helped her to lift the once again unconscious dark mage.

"Gray, I need you to open the door; and Lucy, climb in to help us get him in without aggravating his wounds any more than they've already been." Erza ordered, as the two moved to comply.

It took us some very careful maneuvering, but we eventually managed to get Kageyama settled in the back of the SE Vehicle, Lucy sending Virgo home once the task was complete. Climbing in, Gray sat next to Kageyama on one side, while Lucy sat next to me on the other. Looking out the window, I saw that Erza was about to put on the SE plug at the front of the Vehicle.

I still remembered the fatigue she was in earlier, so I opened my window.

"Erza, hold on!" I called, making her to pause.

"Icelynn, what is it?" she asked, as I held my hand out the window towards her.

"See if that thing will reach the window." I told her, as she gave me a confused look.

"Why?" she asked, as I gave her a knowing look.

"Look, you've already used up a good bit of your magic both driving this thing here and fighting those mages in the train station. If you use too much more before we reach Erigor and Natsu, then you could collapse of magic exhaustion. Let me put in on, and you can drive as fast as you can handle." I explained, as Erza gave me a thoughtful look. "Erza, it's better this way. If you pass out while driving, we crash, you, me, Gray and Lucy run the risk of dying. Kageyama would be a goner for sure with his injuries." I told her, as Erza hummed in thought.

Eventually though, she guided the SE plug up to the window. Thankfully, it reached just fine so long as I held my arm up to it.

"You have a point. Now let's not waste anymore time." She said, as I put the SE plug on my wrist.

Climbing into the driver's seat, Erza started the Vehicle, and I could immediately feel it pulling on my magic. Soon as we left Oshibana, and Erza began driving as fast as the vehicle was capable of, the drain became sharper to the point I couldn't help but wince.

"Are you going to be alright Icelynn?" Gray asked me, as he formed a small bar of ice with his magic. When it was done, he held it out to me.

"Yeah, I will be." I answered, as I took the bar of ice from him. Nodding my thanks at him, I took a bite out of it. The moment it hit my taste buds, I couldn't help but give Gray and appreciative look.

"Damn, that's pretty good… I'll have to take you up on this more often." I said, as Gray threw a smirk my way.

"No problem. Like I said, if you need the power boost, I'll throw some your way." He answered, as we all fell silent for a while after that.

It lasted for just a little while though, until Kageyama regained consciousness once more. Opening his eyes, he looked quite shocked to see us instead of his maker, or maybe his guildmates, or a random doctor or something.

"I don't get you guys…" he rasped after a while. "I'm your enemy, why didn't you leave me behind?" he asked us, as Lucy gave him a small glare.

"Because you need to see a doctor! I thought that with all of those injuries it would be obvious." She scolded him, as Kageyama averted his eyes and looked out of the window instead. "Thanks to the antics of your guild all of the doctors in Oshibana have fled, leaving you no choice but to go see one in Clover."

"But I'm your enemy…" Kageyama argued, as he began muttering to himself. "No wait, I get it, you're hoping to use me to negotiate with Erigor. Good luck with that." He said, as I scoffed at him.

"Don't think too highly of yourself." I snapped at him, causing Kageyama to look over at me, while I gave him an icy glare of my own. "Even if I were to have Erza pull over right now for me to use just a tiny bit of my magic to slit your throat, not many would blink at your death. We are fully aware that Erigor sees you and the rest of your comrades as nothing more than pawns to be discarded once your usefulness has run out. And as for your comrades, some would see me killing you as a favor. Why? Because I opened up a position the small fry would have a chance to fill." I said, as Kageyama's eyes widened at my words. Even Gray and Lucy looked on at me nervously.

"What? Did you expect me to say something _light-hearted_?" I asked them, as I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to ruin your expectations of me, but what I said is the truth. Believe it or not, in most cases, some light guilds are no better than their darker counterparts. The only difference is that they at least toe the line with the laws of the magic counsel and Fiore's royal government." I told them, as I turned to look out the window myself.

"Icelynn's rant aside, I think she has a point." Lucy agreed, as Gray nodded his head once.

"Yeah, there's more to this world than just living and dying." He said, as the SE Vehicle suddenly gave a violent jerk. As it did so, you could feel as the wheels left the ground for a moment. When they touched back down though, Gray, Lucy, and I were thrown about. Kageyama on the other hand, got pinned down with Lucy's butt to his face.

When the shaking stopped, Lucy jumped off Kageyama like he had bitten her or something and landed sideways on my lap with her arms around my neck.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry!" She squeaked in embarrassment.

Putting a hand to his bruised face, Kageyama gave her an annoyed look.

"Can your ass be any _bigger_?" he asked her sarcastically, as Lucy's face turned red with indignation.

"Why you!" she growled at him, then turned to look at Gray, who now sat where he had landed beside me. "KILL HIM GRAY, HE SAID I HAD A BIG BUTT!" She fussed, then turned to look at me. "COME ON ICELYNN, ARE YOU GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY WITH TALKING TO YOUR CUTE LITTLE SISTER LIKE THAT!" she shouted, as she hugged me and made a fake crying sound.

"For goodness sake Lucy, get ahold of yourself." I said, as I gave my sister a droll stare that matched the one Gray was giving her. Seeing it, Lucy pouted at us not teaching Kageyama a lesson, and moved to sit next to him without another word.

"No kidding." Gray added, as he then opened the window and poked his head out. "Hey Erza, you alright? What happened?" he asked our red headed comrade.

"It's alright, we just had to get on the train tracks! Everything should be fine now!" she called back, as Gray pulled his head back into the Vehicle, closing the window as he did so.

"What was that all about?" Lucy asked.

"Erza said we just had to get on the tracks. I guess we'll be coming up on the ravine soon." Gray answered, as we all elapsed back into silence. The only sound coming from the thumps of the SE Vehicle going over the rails.

We spent the next little while in silence, Kageyama having nothing more to say to any of us, just sat in his seat looking out the window at the ravine beyond the railway bridge we rode on.

Looking out the window on my side, I could recall that day that Jude raged up a storm over the costs to repair this bridge. From what I can remember, it had been damaged in a few different places from at least three different guilds over the course of a week. He was so furious that Lucy and I did all that we could to stay out of his way. It was a whole three weeks before we could even breathe easy in the same room as him.

"How much longer do you think it's going to take us to find Natsu?" Lucy suddenly asked, as I was pulled from the memory.

"I have no idea. It depends on how far Erigor managed to go before he caught up to him." Gray answered, as Lucy opened her window and peered outside it.

"I hope he's alright…" she muttered, as she kept her eyes trained on the direction we were going.

"I'm sure he is. If he had really needed help, I'm sure Happy would have flown back to find us by now." I said, as Lucy glanced at me for a second, then back to where she had originally been looking.

"There he is!" Lucy told us a few moments later, as we made it passed another bend. "Natsu!" she called out of the window, as Erza slowed the SE Vehicle to a stop. Soon as I felt the drain on my magic cut, I took off the SE plug, and put the leather bracer I had taken off in the beginning back on. Following Lucy and Gray out of the back of the car, we all walked towards the front to see a shirtless Natsu standing over a thoroughly defeated Erigor.

"Hey! You guys just missed seeing me kick Erigor's ass!" Natsu called to us, as I moved to put the SE plug back where it's supposed to go, and helped Lucy pull an exhausted Erza from the front of the vehicle. Looking at her now, I could see that I would have been right about her passing out if I had let her take the SE plug instead.

"I'm proud of you Natsu." Erza said from where Lucy and I supported her on either side, helping her to move closer to take a better look at Erigor's unconscious form.

Kageyama on the other hand, still stood by the SE Vehicle, his jaw pretty much on the bridge in shock at seeing his guild master lying at Natsu's feet.

_I just hope that his close brush with death will help him not do anything rash_. I thought, as I readjusted Erza's arm that rested over my shoulders.

"Why'd it take you so long to deal with this guy? What, did you have a hard time taking him out?" Gray asked Natsu, having discarded his jacket and shirt the moment he followed us over here.

"I didn't say that!" Natsu protested, as he put his fists on his hips. "Besides, I took care of him, didn't I?" he demanded.

"Aye, even though I was worried there for a bit." Happy agreed, as Natsu gave his little buddy a mock hurt look.

"Yeah, yeah…" Gray said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "Although, you do look pretty stupid being half naked, but still wearing a scarf." He insulted him.

"Like you have room to talk." Natsu shot back, as he turned to look at Lucy.

"Hey Lucy, let me borrow your clothes!" he demanded, as the vengeful look she cast at Kageyama came back full force.

"No!" she told him off, causing Erza and I to giggle at the display.

"Either way, you did well Natsu. With Erigor out of the picture, the guild masters at the conference will be safe." Erza said, as the two put their insults away for now, and nodded their heads once.

"That's all well and good, but what do we do with the Lullaby flute." I said, as I turned to look where the wooden flute with a skull on the top of it had stopped at when it rolled from Erigor's fingertips. It was kind of freaky to look at, especially with the three eye sockets.

"Well, seeing as we're pretty much almost to Clover, I say we take it the rest of the way to the conference hall and ask the guild masters what to do with it." Erza suggested, as I looked back up to her.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best, but what are we going to do about Erigor? We leave him here; he's bound to wake up sooner or later and come after us." I said, as Erza thought about it for a moment.

"That would be a problem seeing as the car will be cramped enough now that we have Natsu with us again." Lucy stated.

"Shouldn't be, Happy could always fly me the rest of the way there." Natsu said, as he turned to look down at him. "How about it, little buddy? Has your magic power recovered enough to do that yet?" he asked him.

"I think so." Happy replied, as Natsu gave him a big grin.

Now that we had a plan in place, it was finally time to carry it out. However, before any of us could so much as move, I smelled magic in the air. Going on my instinct, I jerked Erza off of my sister, and jumped towards one side of the railway. The movement was so sudden that Lucy ended up tripping and falling on her ass in the direction I had taken Erza in.

Luckily for us, it worked in our favor seeing as the SE Vehicle we had come here in sped right by us covered in Kageyama's shadows. Natsu and Gray managed to jump out of the way, and Erigor was spared his life by a mere few inches as he passed. However, what really caught our attention, was that Kageyama held the Lullaby flute in the hand he wasn't driving with.

"Stupid flies! Because you let your guard down, Lullaby is mine now!" he called back to us, as he sped off in evil laughter.

"Lucy, Erza, you alright?" I asked the two girls. Lucy nodded her head once, so I looked over at Erza.

"I'm fine. Although I have to say you're a lot stronger than you look." Erza said, clearly impressed that I could move her while she wore her heavy armor.

"Dragon slayer abilities…" I admitted, shrugging the shoulder she wasn't on. "Do you think you can move about on your own yet, or not quite?" I asked her then, as Erza slowly pulled herself away from my side. Taking a few steps away from me, Erza nodded her head.

"It would appear to be so." She answered, then turned serious. "In good timing too, we need to hurry and get to Clover. Kageyama shouldn't be able to use his magic to go too awfully fast with those wounds." She said, as the rest of us nodded our heads once.

Without another word, Happy hopped up onto Natsu's shoulder, and we all took off running across the bridge to try and catch up to Kageyama.

By the time we actually reached the other side though, the sun had already long set. It didn't take us long to find the actual town after that, although we all just followed Erza's lead as she avoided the main streets of the town in favor of the thin stretch of woods around it to get to the conference hall.

When we reached it though, we spotted Master Makarov outside, and before him stood Kageyama with the demon flute almost up to his lips. It was on the tip of my tongue to call out down there, but I found the words stuck in my throat as the wind changed direction and I could smell hesitation coming from Kageyama, and a steady calm from Master Makarov.

"Gramps!" Natsu called.

"Master!" Erza said.

However, before any of us could follow up with that, this squat man with a bald head, dressed like a woman, and wearing red lipstick shushed us. Not having heard or smelled him coming, I jumped in surprise along with Natsu, Erza, Happy, Lucy, and Gray.

"Sh. We're just about to get to the good part." He whispered at us, as Gray, Natsu, and Lucy jumped back from him. When they did this though, the man took one good look at Natsu and Gray, and _blushed_.

"Oh my, don't you yummy boys look just adorable." He said, as a shiver visibly ran up their spines. They moved away from the man, while Lucy dove to hide behind where Erza and I had opted to stand off to the side. Leaving the boys to squirm away from the man, and the man in turn squirm a little closer to them. As he did this, I finally noticed the blue guild emblem on the man's upper right arm.

_Blue Pegasus… Guild Master… Started with a _B_ didn't it?_ I thought to myself, as Lucy turned to Erza while pointing a finger at the man.

"Who the heck is that guy?" Lucy asked her, as Erza crossed her arms.

"Master Bob of the Blue Pegasus guild." She answered, causing Master _Bob_ to turn to look in our direction.

"Oh, Erza honey, you've filled out!" he exclaimed, as Lucy nearly molded her body to Erza's armor in nervousness.

"He's really the master of Blue Pegasus?" Lucy pressed, as Erza nodded her head once. At hearing her voice though, Master Bob then took notice of her.

"Oh my, aren't you the blonde angel!" he gushed, as then then took notice of me standing beside Erza rather than behind her. "Oh, if she's a blonde angel, then you must be a snow angel with that lovely pale complexion and pretty ice blue eyes!"

At his words, even I began to feel just a tad bit nervous…

Thankfully though, our attention was drawn back to where Kageyama and Master Makarov stood.

"Come on boy, I don't have all night. Not to mention you look like hell, don't you still need your rest?" Master asked him, as Kageyama lowered the flute from his lips a few inches. After a moment, Kageyama began to look like he ate something sour as he put his lips on the flute itself.

"No!" Erza called and moved to go forward, only to be stopped by me putting my hand on her shoulder.

"Icelynn?" she said, confusion clear in her voice. "What do you think you're doing!?" she demanded, her confusion beginning to bleed into anger.

"He didn't take a breath to play." I simply said, as I actually heard the next spectator that approached our location. Turning to see who it was, Erza and Lucy following my gaze, we spotted a man wearing a black shirt, sunglasses, and a hat with a red trim with spikes around it, and a leather collar matching it walk over to a tree and lean up against it.

"Shush now, we're about to get to the good part." He said, in a drawling accent you don't hear every day.

"He's from Quatro Cerberus!" Lucy exclaimed, recognizing him immediately from Sorcerer Weekly.

"Master Goldmine, right?" I asked, as Erza nodded her head yes.

"Well?" we all heard Master Makarov say once more, pulling our attention back to him and Kageyama. At his prompt, I could see that Kageyama had begun to sweat from the effort of mentally fighting with himself to play a melody of death.

When Kageyama lowered the flute once more without a word or a note, Master Makarov sighed as he turned to face a different direction.

"Nothing's going to change." He said, catching Kageyama off guard. "By nature, we humans are weak beings, and what is weak, will always be so. However, and maybe this is just me, but I don't see that as a bad thing. Insecurities such as these is why we build guilds and have friends." He explained, as he then turned to look back at Kageyama. "It's easier to stay positive about the future that lies before us while being surrounded by your allies. Think about it this way: We are clumsy and may bump into things and fall over, but if we keep having faith in our future, then we can keep going forward. Bringing out our inner strength in the process, but only if we _choose_ that path and live our lives to the fullest." He said, as he then gave Kageyama a knowing smirk.

"You can do the same, only if you _choose_ to not let that silly flute get in the way." He finished, as I found myself baffled.

_How could he know what Kageyama was here to do?_ I thought in surprise. _Unless, maybe someone from Fairy Tail sent word ahead to warn him or something…_ _Either way, I guess it doesn't really matter how he knows, so long as it keeps Kageyama from playing that thing._ I resolved, as I stood back with my guildmates and waited to see how this would end. All that was left was for Kageyama to make his choice. Try to play the flute and we stop him before we all die, or he can drop the flute and put this whole situation behind us.

After a few tense moments, Kageyama dropped the flute to the ground, and fell to his knees.

"I surrender…" Kageyama said, as he lowered his head, his breathing becoming labored from the strain he put himself under to get here.

Soon as it was clear that Kageyama had finally given up, Gray, Happy, Natsu, Erza, and Lucy all rushed forward to greet our Master. I went with them, although I didn't run. The moment he saw us, he became surprised.

"What!? How did you kids get to Clover!?" He demanded, as he then turned to give me a surprised look as well when I caught up with them. "And Icelynn, didn't you have a job in Oshibana?" he asked, while Natsu kept patting his head excitedly, while Gray muttered something about showing up in time to watch Gramps talk his way out of another one.

"Finished it. On my way back to the guild, I saw these guys trying to get to Clover to warn the guild masters about that _silly flute_, so I decided to come along and help out where I could." I answered, as Master Makarov nodded his head once.

"Well, I appreciate you all, as I'm sure the other masters do." He said and looked like he was about to say more but ended up being cut off when Erza slammed him into her armor, hugging the very life out of him…

"Master, your words touched me so deeply that I was almost moved to tears!" she declared, as I secretly thanked my lucky stars that Erza wasn't in the mood to hug _me_ any time soon.

From there, my guild mates began chattering between each other, Master Makarov and the other guild masters present. While they did that, I moved to check on Kageyama's injuries, Lucy following behind me. Checking him over, I could see that his bandages stayed put, but they would need to be changed very soon.

I was about to try and talk him into letting us take him to the hospital for real this time, however, I was cut off along with everyone else when this disembodied maniacal laughter began floating around us. Going on high alert we all began looking around for the source of it. Seeing a flash of purple out of the corner of my eye, I found myself looking down at the lullaby flute.

Seeing that purple sparks were coming from it, and that its empty eye sockets glowed the same color, I grabbed Lucy and Kageyama by their arms and moved them away from it.

"_I'VE GROWN TIRED OF YOU WIZARDS AND YOUR COWARDLY ANTICS!_" The voice said, as a massive dark magic circle opened above us in the sky, purple lightning raining down from it.

Everyone else around me gasped in shock at the display. As for me, I was no longer in the present…

No, my mind was five years back on that stormy night my personal hell came to an end. It happened much like the dream I had back in Hargeon, when Lucy ignored my warning and went to Bora's party anyway. I had been waiting in my cell for the next time my captor came to get me. Weather it was to drain my dragon slayer magic for his experiments, or to have me fight a lacky or another prisoner to the death for his amusement.

In the month leading up to the night of my escape, my captor had been mercilessly draining my magic from my body. To the point I would end up near comatose for a couple of days, then I would be right back to having my magic drained to that point all over again. Then, one night, my captor didn't show up in my cell.

As it approached the hour of midnight, a terrible storm began brewing outside. I couldn't hear any rain, just the thunder as the lightning cracked over and over again. Then, just as quickly as it started, the storm abruptly stopped. As it did, I felt a fear I'd never felt before beginning to eat away at me. A worse fear than waking up to find that I had been abandoned by my dragon.

That was when I heard the footsteps coming to my cell. I was so out of it from being a captive for a few years by then, that I began struggling against my chains to get free. When the door opened, and the light outside flooded in, I threw myself back as the image of my captor appeared before me.

Cowering against the wall I was bound to, I waited for the harsh words and the blows that usually accompanied my cell door being opened. When nothing happened, I found myself taking a better look at the stranger as I took in his rainstorm scent.

I don't know what this boy looked like to this very day. Half of his face had been cast in shadows, and the other was obscured by rivers of blood from a wound that went over his right eye. Fresh from the scent of him. What caught my attention the most though, was the fresh hint of dragon magic I could smell on him as well.

At the time, I had him figured as a fellow prisoner that had been captured for a similar purpose as I was. How did I know that this wasn't a trick though?

_Hey, I'm not here to hurt you…_ I remember the guy saying to me, as he pulled out a set of keys. Seeing those, I knew that he was here to help me as my doubts faded. Feeling a sense of relief and peace I thought I'd never feel again wash over me, I ended up passing out before I could learn the name of the boy who saved me. By the time I awoke, I was in a hospital, and the boy was nowhere in sight.

"Icelynn, that's enough." I heard the commanding voice of Master Makarov say, bringing me back as the purple lightning continued dancing around the magic circle in the sky, and what now looked like a reforming hunk of wood.

Realizing where I was, I looked to where the Lullaby flute had fallen from Kageyama's hand earlier to find it gone. Not liking that one bit, I looked back to the shifting wood that continuously grew bigger, and soon it towered over the newly arrived Fiorian Army just down the hill. Figuring that it must be taking on that demonic form the Black Wizard Zeref gave it, I then turned to see Master Makarov watching me with careful eyes.

"What just happened?" I asked him, as the small old man walked over to stand beside me.

"I don't know where your mind took you, but we can speak of this later. Right now, we have a demonic flute to take care of." He said, as I nodded my head once.

_He's right Icelynn, get a grip on yourself. Lives are on the line; I don't have time to start remembering that fucked up shit and freaking out about it._ I berated myself, as I moved to stand towards the front with my guild mates.

"_I CAN NO LONGER HOLD BACK!_" the disembodied voice of Lullaby continued, as it finished taking on the gigantic shape it had been striving for. "_I SHALL COME FORTH TO DEVOUR YOUR SOULS MYSELF!_" It declared, as the circle above it vanished. When it did, the flute in a more mobile form fell forward, one of its hands nearly missing the conference hall. Had Lullaby hit it instead, then it would have been easily demolished.

"Holy crap it's huge!" Lucy freaked out from where she had moved to stand behind Kageyama, helping to support him from the looks of it.

"Way to state the obvious!" Happy freaked out back at her.

Lucy looked about ready to shout back, but the startled sound from Kageyama helped her to keep her mouth shut.

"What the fuck is that thing!? Erigor never said anything about Lullaby turning into _this!_" Kageyama exclaimed, as he slowly sat down on his knees with Lucy's help.

"Oh my, aren't we in a pickle." I heard Master Bob say, as Master Goldmine nodded in agreement.

"We sure are… It definitely looks like a demon from the Book of Zeref, doesn't it." He said, as I turned to give Kageyama a droll stare.

"Now do you believe me when I said it might just end up claiming your lives when you played it?" I asked him bitterly, as he weakly nodded his head.

"Why did it turn into that?" Lucy asked out loud, as I turned to look back at the enemy before us once more.

"_That_ is Lullaby's true form." Master Goldmine answered, as he too watched the demon before us. "It was made to be this way through a type of living dark magic. The specialty of the Black Wizard."

"_Living magic_, you said?" Erza asked, getting a nod while Gray looked confused.

"And whose _Zeref_?" he asked, as I thought back to my history lessons.

"Zeref was a wizard who lived a few centuries ago. According to history, he was the evilest wizard known to walk Earthland. His spells and actions earned him the title _Zeref the Black Wizard_." I said, as Master Bob gave me an impressed look.

"Oh my, beauty and brains! Yes, my boys would just _die_ if they could go out with you!" he said, as I tried to suppress the disturbed feeling that gave me. Honestly, I didn't care if he liked to dress like a woman or not, but he needs to stop making it sound like he's trying to hook one of us girls up with his guild members. "Unfortunately, the little ice beauty over there is right though." Master Bob continued, ignoring my icy look as he turned to speak to Gray. "He made quite a bit of mischief until he disappeared, but I never imagined his dark legacy would pop back up again."

As Master Bob spoke, a dark shadow fell over us as Lullaby leaned forward to examine all of us hungrily.

"_NOW, WHICH OF YOU DELECTABLE SOULS DO I WISH TO DINE ON FIRST?_" Lullaby wondered out lout to itself, as I got ready to move into action should I need to.

Doing the same, Erza cast a glance back at where we stood behind her.

"Natsu, Gray, get the guild masters back!" she ordered them, as the masters who had still been in the conference hall filed out and into the trees to escape the monster.

"Stop barking orders!" Natsu fussed, as Gray nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, you're not the boss of us." He shot back, causing Erza to give him one of her looks; and much like they did back in Oshibana station, they hopped right to it with a poorly done Happy impression.

While they did that though, the army began gearing up to attack Lullaby. Hearing their commotion, Lullaby turned to cast a bored withering look in their direction. Luckily for us, this caused enough of a distraction for Natsu and Gray to get the other guild masters well enough back. Happy and Lucy also took the chance to stand back with them as well. For us to bring down Lullaby, we'll probably have to get up close and personal.

"_YOU DOUBT MY POWER!_" it boomed at them, as it sent a blast at the small mountain just behind them, vaporizing it. Terrified for their lives, their captain ordered them to retreat. "_I HAVE NO USE FOR THE PATHETIC SOULS OF HUMANS! WHAT I CRAVE ARE THE SOULS OF WIZARDS!_" Lullaby said, as it turned back to face us.

By now, Gray and Natsu had rejoined Erza and I. A _Good Luck_ following them from the guild masters. Seeing us ready to take him on, Lullaby reared back and let out an ear shattering roar.

"You three ready?" Erza asked us, as she summoned two of her swords.

"I am." I said, summoning my ice talons to my fingertips.

Gray and Natsu both nodded in agreement, as they took their own fighting stances. At this, Erza rushed forward, Gray following her, me following him, and Natsu behind me. When Erza got near Lullaby, she Re-quipped into the armor she wore earlier and slashed at the demon flute.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray called, as he put his hands into their proper position for his maker magic, forming several ice spikes and shooting them towards the demon flute.

Seeing this as an opportunity to get close to Lullaby, I hopped up on one and rode it up to the monster. When it got ready to hit, I leaped off of it and called on my dragon slayer abilities.

"Ice Dragon Wing Attack!" I called, as I used the ice claws I had summoned before the fight to add damage to my strike, making a more jagged version of the slash Erza had left behind. When it successfully hit, I let myself fall back as Natsu launched himself at it.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" he shouted, as he unleashed his fire magic on the flute, knocking it's face to the side from the force of it.

Again, and again Natsu, Gray, Erza, and I threw ourselves at Lullaby. Each successful strike leaving behind a new hole in the demon flute. Becoming pissed off, Lullaby kept thrashing around wildly trying to hit us, declaring he would _devour our wretched souls most painfully_. After a few more hits, Lullaby threw its head back and began pulling the very life essence from the grass and trees as it pulled in air.

Seeing it, I felt a little worried that it was about to play the death song. All I could do though, was pray that the holes we'd punched in it would be enough to distort the sound. If not, well then, we're screwed…

"_JUST ONE NOTE, AND I'LL HAVE YOUR SOULS!_" Lullaby said, as it went to let out the energy it had built up in the form of his death song. However, as the air passed out, it only made a high-pitched _wheezing_ sound. Hearing its own sound, Lullaby began looking rather mortified.

The expression on its face was so funny, that I nearly choked on the breath I had been holding as I got the burning urge to laugh my ass off. Really, my eyes were tearing up from the effort.

"_OH NO! My MELODY OF DEATH! ITS NOT WORKING!_" Lullaby asked itself out loud, as I bit my lip. Yeah, it's funny as hell, but I won't be alive for very long to enjoy the humor if I drew attention to myself. Lullaby might not be able to sing me to my eternal rest, but that doesn't mean it can't use its giant size to kill me.

"All of those attacks messed up its sound!" I heard Kageyama say in shock, as Happy and Lucy stood next to him wearing similar expressions.

"Wow, talk about going out with a whimper." Lucy commented, as Happy nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, flutes are lame to begin with." Happy added, as Lullaby turned a nasty look their way.

"_YOU DARE MOCK ME!_" It shouted at them, kicking at them for good measure as its eyes began glowing purple again.

Seeing it, Erza turned worried eyes towards Gray and I.

"Gray and Icelynn, get over there and protect everyone! Natsu, you're with me!" she ordered, as Gray and I nodded once and ran over.

We barely made it as Lullaby unleashed a blast of fire at everyone. Putting his hands together again, Gray called forth another maker spell.

"Ice Make: Shield!" he called, as I waited for the shield to be formed. Once it was, I stood next to Gray and reinforced it with my dragon slayer ice magic. Thankfully, we got it up just in time to keep the fire blast from hitting anyone. When the blast subsided though, we still had to hold it up to keep the fire that had been left behind from spreading towards everyone.

Luckily though, we have our own fire eater in our guild. It took Natsu almost no time at all to devour every spark of flame Lullaby had unleashed at us. When the flames were gone, Gray and I dropped the shield.

Shocked at Natsu devouring its flames, Lullaby turned its attention to him. Using its hand to strike where Natsu was, all Natsu had to do was jump up to dodge it and land on Lullaby's arm. Once he was on his feet again, Natsu began running up its arm. Using Lullaby's concentration on Natsu to her advantage, Erza re-quipped into an armor I haven't seen yet and charged at Lullaby once more. Black Winged Armor is what one of the guild masters behind me called it.

As Natsu reached the flute's shoulder, he jumped high into the air as Erza quickly took his place and landed a blow to the flutes face. Once she was out of the way, Gray threw another attack.

"Ice Make: Saucer!" he shouted, as he sent a sharp looking disk like thing flying at Lullaby, taking out a portion of it's middle.

"Icelynn! Natsu! Attack together!" Erza shouted at Natsu and I. Giving a nod, I ran forward so I would be more or less attacking from underneath while Natsu gave him hell from above.

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu shouted, as he threw a mini fire storm at Lullaby.

"Ice Dragon Artic Blizzard!" I shouted, sending a more or less equal sized attack of fires opposing devastating force. Knowing that the attack would be big, I moved back towards where I had been standing with Gray, while Natsu landed near Erza, and the two ran in our direction.

They just made it to us when the two attacks hit Lullaby and met, creating a huge explosion of light that shot up high enough to touch the clouds. When it subsided, a single electric spark flashed above as particles of magic power began raining down around us. When we looked to see where the demon flute went to, we found it at the bottom of the crater we had just made, back in the form we had first seen it in.

Not wanting to give it a chance to do anything else, I sent a blast of my magic at it to freeze it into a block of ice. With that done, we all waited a moment to make sure it wouldn't try to break out of the ice casing I had put it in. When nothing happened, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy began cheering.

"Well done!" Master Makarov said to us, as we all turned to face him and everyone else.

"You pretties are amazing!" Master Bob gushed, as Master Goldmine gave us an impressed look.

"No joke. You kids made defeating one of Zeref's demons look easy." He complimented, as I began to feel a bit sheepish. It was a change of pace for me, not being told to stop using such primitive and ungraceful magic, so I couldn't help but be a bit embarrassed at such words.

I snapped out of it though, when Lucy barreled into me and put her arms around my middle in a hug.

"Icelynn! You guys were absolutely amazing! Mira was right about this being the strongest team!" Lucy squealed in excitement.

"Wait, what?" I asked, as I gave Erza, Gray, and Natsu a confused look.

"That's what Mira said after Erza came to Fairy Tail to get us to team up with her in order to defeat Lullaby." Gray explained, as I nodded my head in understanding.

To be honest, I can kind of see why Mira would say such a thing. A dragon slayer and an S-Class wizard are pretty powerful together. Not to mention that Gray's ice maker magic wasn't too shabby, and it could be diverse in meeting the needs of different jobs. Kind of like Lucy's celestial magic with her different kinds of spirits.

"We're an awesome guild, aren't we?" Master Makarov stated, as we Fairy Tail mages nodded in agreement.

However, our happiness was short lived after that. Erza just happened to look behind her towards the conference hall, and froze when she saw the state it was in. The rest of us turned to see what she had gone stiff for, only to end up in the same state as her when we saw that the crater Lullaby had fallen into, sat where the conference hall used to be.

Seeing it, I felt my blue eyes widen. Turning around to look back at the guild masters, I could see the constipated looks they were also giving the sight. Then, almost as if they could sense my gaze, the whole group turned to look at my friends and I. The moment they locked their sights on us, their expressions turned rather _scary_…

"Uh, guys…" I muttered, pulling my comrades attention back to myself, then to what I was looking at.

"Uh oh…" I heard Natsu and Happy say together, as Happy latched on to his head.

_"FAIRY TAIL!_" the whole group of guild masters growled at us in displeasure. The moment they took one step towards us though, Gray, Happy, Natsu, and Lucy all turned tail and began running in the opposite direction.

Turning to look back at Master Makarov and Erza, the three of us shared a look before Erza was scooping up our small guild master and we took off after our guild mates.

As we tried to catch up to them, I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Hearing it, Erza and Master Makarov gave me a curious look.

"What is so funny about this Icelynn? The council will have much to say to our guild for this." Erza said, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Just a bit of déjà vu." I answered and told them how Natsu and Happy had found Lucy and I in Hargeon, and how we had to flee Hargeon to get to Magnolia to join up with Fairy Tail.

By the end of the explanation, they couldn't help but chuckle along with me.

XXX

_It took us a couple of days, but we all managed to make it back to Magnolia. Tired, overly hot, and really hungry, but we made it, nonetheless. When Mirajane welcomed us back to the guild, she was very surprised to see me with what she dubbed __Team Natsu__. Apparently when I didn't come back from my completed job right away, she had begun to get worried about me. She literally pouted at me until we told her how I got mixed up into the whole Lullaby incident. _

_ Oh, and can you believe we accidentally destroyed the conference hall the guild masters use in Clover. We just got back to Magnolia yesterday afternoon, so we haven't heard anything back from the magic counsel yet. I'm sure we will very soon. I can only imagine what they'll want to do to punish Fairy Tail for the damages we caused trying to defeat an enemy the Fiorian Army and the Rune Knight accompanying them fled from. Can you believe that Storm? So ridiculous…_

_ Well, that's pretty much what happened with Lucy and I lately. I'll write to you again soon Storm. With more tales of our adventures as Fairy Tail mages. _

_With love,_

_Icelynn._

XXX

Next Chapter: Chapter 7 – Cursed Island Getaway

XXX

Another Chapter for everyone. I hope you guys like this story and aren't too upset at me for re-writing it the way I have. Icelynn is pretty much my favorite OC that I've ever come up with.

Well, thanks for reading, and I'll work on my stories when I can.

Thanks,

Bugg18.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Cursed Island Getaway

"Man, that was intense! I get why the other guild masters would be angry about us destroying the conference hall, but did they really have to chase us out into the desert like that?" Lucy huffed, as we shuffled ourselves into our apartment. "Well, at least we saved those people in that weird village that turned itself into a bunch of monsters, huh?" she said, as she sprawled herself out on her pink bed.

Following suit, I dropped my bag next to my own blue bed and dropped myself down to lay flat on my back. At my sister's statement, all I could do was hum in her direction. It's not that I was trying to ignore her, it's just that my mind was elsewhere.

The place Lucy spoke of was a village we had come across while she, Happy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Master Makarov and I were looking for a place we could cross the dessert like ravine that separates Clover from the rest of Fiore. We had gone a day without food, and we were all hungry, so when we finally came across a village, Natsu and Happy ran to try and find a place we could get some food and water.

However, when we got to the village itself, it was dead silent. No birds or crickets could be heard. Even the wind seemed to remain still, almost as if it didn't dare to blow through the streets of this place.

The most disturbing thing to me though, was the lack of scents that covered the place.

As a dragon slayer, whenever I go and visit a new village, I always get a little disoriented from all of the scents of the locals and visitors clustered together. It doesn't usually take me more than four, maybe five minutes to get used to the new scents trying to filter themselves in on my sensory map. However, in that village, my head remained clear and focused. Things only got more bizarre when Natsu did what he does best. Bust up into the first house he could get to in search of people who could feed him.

Instead of finding an angry owner, all Natsu and Happy found was an empty home with a freshly cooked meal on the table.

As hungry as all of us were, Master and Erza both advised against us eating the _abandoned_ food. For one, it didn't belong to us in the first place; and two, we had no way of knowing whether or not this food was the reason why the people in this village were absent. With that in mind, Master Makarov had us all split up to look for clues as to how and why the people of this village went missing.

Gray went his own way, Happy went with Natsu, Lucy got paired off with Erza, and Master Makarov had me remain with him.

While Master and I looked through our portion of the town, he brought up the moment I froze when Lullaby began transforming into its true form. It caught me off guard at first, but he did say that we would discuss this later. This conversation was what was on my mind…

~X~

_ As I looked away from the small master of the guild I belonged to, I waited for his response to what I had revealed to him about myself. His expression was about as somber as I felt at the moment, and I didn't want to be looking at him when the pity entered his eyes. However, much like he did the day before, Master Makarov surprised me._

_ "I see." He said, his tone matching his expression, and it sounded like there was a hint of _guilt_ mixed in. I'm not entirely sure. "That's quite a lot to go through." _

_ "Yeah… I don't know who it was that pulled me out of that though. Couldn't see his face before I passed out." I said, as I turned to look back at master Makarov. "One of the reasons why I wanted to become a wizard was to try and find this guy one day. Thank him for saving me."_

_ Sighing heavily, I walked up to the door of the next house we were to enter and sniffed at the door. When I didn't smell anybody home, I opened the door to go inside._

_ "Are you sure you didn't see this young man's face?" he asked me then, as we began glancing around the house for clues._

_ "I'm sure… What I could see of the guy was covered in blood. He had been through his own personal hell in that place, just like I had." I answered, as I finished searching my half of the room and turned to face Makarov once more. "I may not have been able to see his face, but I was able to catch his scent. Just before he reached where I was being held, I could smell something like a rainstorm…"_

_ At this, Makarov turned to look at me with an unreadable expression. Seeing it, I felt a bit ridiculous._

_ "Ah… I know it sounds silly…" I said, as I turned to look towards the door, we had left open. _

_ "Not at all…" Master Makarov said, causing me to whip my head back around to look at him in surprise. "Icelynn, my child, I think it's a noble goal indeed, one paying back another who had saved their life. Especially in an ordeal such as yours. It left you in a dark place, and I'm guessing Lucy played a key role in you finding your way back, am I right?" he asked me, as I nodded my head once to affirm his suspicion._

_ "Yeah, she was… It's why I claimed her as my sister." I told him, as Makarov nodded his head once, the sad smile remaining on his aged face._

_ "Let me guess, you not only want to thank this young man, but you want to make sure he's not stuck in the same dark place you were in. If he is, you want to do what you can to help him, correct?" he asked once more, as I sighed heavily once again._

_ I could only nod yes…_

~X~

Master Makarov had hit it on the head with that one. He was right when he assumed that I not only wanted to thank this guy for saving me but, also help him like Lucy helped me. To pay her kindness forward and show my appreciation to one who made it possible for my sister to pull me the rest of the way out of the darkness.

"Hey, Ice… Ice…? Icelynn… Icelynn!" Lucy said, trying to get my attention; but I was so deep into my own mind that I could only tell that she was talking, not what she was saying.

Not until I found a pillow being introduced to my face.

"_Ooof!_" I exclaimed as it made contact for a moment before Lucy pulled it away.

"HA! Finally got your attention!" Lucy exclaimed with a triumphant smirk. Seeing the halfhearted look that I threw at her, her smirk faded almost as quickly as it appeared. "Icelynn, what's the matter?" she asked me then, as she sat on the edge of my bed.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought." I told her, as I turned to glance at her.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Lucy asked, as she began playing with the long black hair I'd let loose from my braid when we finally got back to Magnolia.

"It's nothing we haven't talked about before." I answered, as Lucy gave me an understanding look.

"Like what happened to you back before my father brought you to the Heartfilia Estate." She said, as I nodded my head once.

"Yeah… Lullaby reminded me of something from back then, and I froze up. Master Makarov noticed it, and when we split up to look through that village we helped, he asked me about it." I told her, as I sat up, and moved back against my pillows. The few strands of my hair Lucy had been holding fell back into place. "So, I told him…"

"Oh…" she hummed, as she turned to face the rest of the room. "What did the Master have to say about it?" she asked.

"He called it a _noble goal_…" I said, as I looked over at my sister. "I didn't even tell him what I had planned on doing once I had found the guy who saved me back then, he figured it out for himself…"

"I see…" Lucy responded, as she gave me a gentle smile. "He's right, ya know. Most people would just move on with their lives and not think twice about anyone else whose gone through the same kind of deal. You got through it and got stronger, and I think that its awesome that you want to help the guy who saved you. Should he still be struggling with it, anyway."

At her words, I couldn't help but return her smile.

"Well, that attitude is thanks to you." I told her, as Lucy gave me a wink.

"That's what we little sisters are for!" she said, as my smile widened.

Lucy and I sat in silence for a little bit after that, then the next thing I know, she's hopping off my bed and summoning Plue as soon as she was on her feet.

"Well, I'm gonna go take a bath. I need one after spending three _full_ days walking endlessly." She told me, as she reached down to scoop up the little celestial spirit. "Need the bathroom before I go in?" she asked me, as I shook my head.

"Go ahead… I might just change clothes and go to bed. I'm really tired." I told her, as she nodded her head.

"Okay then… Goodnight… Ya know, in case you're out when I'm done." She said, as she moved the curtain separating our bathroom from the rest of our apartment aside and walked in. Two seconds later, she's poking her head back out. "Oh, and if you notice Natsu or Happy trying to break in, give them a good smack for me." She said, as I held a thumbs up in her direction.

With my promise to protect the vicinity she calls her bed; Lucy pops her head back into the bathroom. Not long after that, I could hear the water being turned on as she prepared her bath. Sighing heavily once more, I got up and went over to the shared writing desk. On one side, I could see a few of the latest pages of the novel Lucy's been working on for the last couple of years now. It's going to make a good book, although she doesn't know that I've read them.

Knowing she'd freak out if I disturbed them, I just grabbed a blank piece of paper and wrote a letter to Storm detailing the recent events I've played a part in. When it was finished, I sealed it up in an envelope and added it to the rest of the letters I kept stashed in a box beneath my bed. When that was done, I went to my dresser, and pulled out some comfortable clothes to sleep in. Once I was changed, I wasted no time in crawling into my sheets.

Soon as I was settled in, I fell asleep almost immediately.

~X~ _Lucy ~X~_

As I walked out from the bathroom after my nice hot bath, rubbing a towel through my hair, I paused when I noticed that Icelynn had indeed fallen asleep.

Looking over my sister's features, I felt yet another small smile cross my face as I noticed how soundly she was sleeping. It was good to see that she could get some rest that would be uninterrupted by her nightmares. Putting a finger to my lips, I motioned for Plue to remain quiet as I went over to the desk.

Picking up a blank piece of paper, and the quill I kept here for when either Icelynn or I wrote our letters, or I worked on my novel, and began writing to my mother.

_Dear Mom in Heaven,_

_ Things have once again taken a crazy turn at Fairy Tail. As always, I'll start from the beginning for you… _

_ A few days ago, I met yet another member of the guild who was gone on a job when Icelynn and I first joined up with Fairy Tail. She's a beautiful wizard named Erza, and I have to say that she's pretty awesome. Her magic allows her to switch out her weapons and armor out of thin air! It's got to be the coolest thing I've ever seen aside from Icelynn's and Natsu's dragon slayer abilities. Upon her return to the guild, she asked for the help of Natsu, whom I've mentioned to you before; and Gray, an ice wizard who has a serious problem of unconsciously stripping. Don't worry though, he usually doesn't get past his underwear before someone mentions his clothes._

_ Anyway, on her way back from her previous job, Erza had heard a group of suspicious wizards mentioning something about a magical artifact they called Lullaby. Originally, she had wanted Natsu and Gray to go with her to further investigate the rumors, and to help her stop the wizards if they really had been up to no good. Mirajane asked me to tag along to help keep Natsu and Gray in line whenever Erza wasn't looking. And to help get me more experience as a working wizard. _

_As for the suspicious wizards, it turns out that they really weren't up to any good._

_ The Lullaby that Erza heard them mention, was actually a magical flute that utilized death magic. Zeref, the Black Wizard, was known to have tampered with it, turning it into one of his demons. The dark guild Eisenwald, had wanted to use this demon flute to take revenge on the guild masters of the league that they formerly belonged to. While we worked on trying to stop them, we picked up Icelynn out in Oshibana. She had been doing her own solo job out there and had just finished it when she noticed us._

_ Together, we managed to fight our way through Eisenwald's dark mages and get to Clover in time to stop them from using Lullaby. The demon flute itself was a completely different problem of its own though. When we stopped it from being played, it became furious and transformed into this huge, towering wooden monster. Oh, I wish you could have seen Natsu, and Erza, and Gray, and Icelynn go up against this thing._

_ Speaking of Icelynn, I think she's finally beginning to open up to others now. For a moment, when Lullaby transformed, she froze. I didn't see it, but our Master at Fairy Tail did. He asked her about it, and she opened up and decided to tell him. I have to say though, Master Makarov is pretty understanding and open minded for a guild master. I can see why everyone at Fairy Tail is so loyal towards him. _

_ As for the boy who saved her from her terrible fate, Icelynn hasn't been able to find him yet. From what she's told me, she never heard the boy's name, and never got a good look at his face. The only thing she knows about him is this guy's scent thanks to her dragon slayer abilities. I don't know how it'll happen, but I have a feeling she'll figure out who he is or would happen to find him someday. _

_ As for what ended up happening to Eisenwald, most of the guild was arrested back at Oshibana station. A few of them still managed to get away though. What worries me most about this is the fact that Erigor was one of the mages who escaped. I'm a little worried that he'll try and take some kind of revenge out on Fairy Tail. Even if he does though, there's no need to worry about me. I have my big sister with me, not to mention that I'm on the strongest team with Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza. So, I'm sure I'll be fine!_

_ Well, I have to go now, Mama. It's been a long couple of days. I'll write to you again soon._

_With love,_

_Lucy._

Done with writing the letter, I then sealed it, and got up to place it in the jewelry box with the others. As I moved across the room, a glint catches my eye. Looking over, I spotted the metal box that Icelynn keeps her letters to her dragon in, sticking half-way out from underneath her bed. Putting my mother's letter in my own box, I then tip toed over towards Icelynn, and used my foot to gently push her box back where it belonged.

_I wonder if I'll ever get to meet Storm, or Igneel for that matter._ I wondered, as I turned to go to my bed. I haven't asked Natsu what his dragon looks like, but I have asked Icelynn about hers.

According to Icelynn, Storm is mainly a white scaled dragon. His neck and belly, and the underside of his tail on the other hand, is a light ice blue. As were the spikes that run from his head down to the tip of his tail. The membrane of his wings were also this color, as were his eyes, although they were a few shades darker from the way my sister described him. However, the scales around his eyes were a much, much darker blue. Closer to Sapphire.

_Overall, Storm sounds like a pretty cool dragon, but…_ I thought to myself, as I checked the window above my bed before I crawled beneath my own covers. Once I was settled, I turned worried eyes towards my sister. _But how will finding Storm again affect Icelynn…? _

As far as Icelynn's imprisonment goes, the only thing she will tell me other than how she escaped that life, is that she was magically experimented on for two years. A hell that began for her shortly after Storm left for whatever reason. I know that she'll be happy to see her dragon again, but I'm worried it will put her back in _that_ state again.

When my father brought her home for the first time, she was practically lifeless. Icelynn wouldn't look at you, let alone say a single word to anyone; no matter what they said, or at what volume it was said in. I was also warned to not make any sudden movements around her. While this did frighten me a little, what terrified me the most was the look in her eyes.

They were so cold, and void of any sort of emotion save one. Pure, unrelenting determination.

For the first few months, she did her best to avoid everyone. When someone refused to leave her alone, she would growl at them like a cornered animal. However, no matter how loudly she growled, she never attacked. Once I saw this, I got the strong desire to help her however I could. After my mother passed away from her illness, my father had just begun turning into the man he is now, and he would lock himself up in his study most of the time, leaving me alone.

My pain and suffering was great, but it was nowhere near what Icelynn felt. Yet, we were both _lonely_. I knew for a fact that I couldn't stand to be lonely, so I reasoned that she didn't either. So, I began trying my best to get her to open up to me. After a while, I stopped caring if her response was going to be nice, or harsh, all I had wanted was to get her to speak to me.

Eventually, my persistence won out when she finally snapped at me, asking me why I just couldn't leave her alone. It wasn't long after that, that Icelynn declared me to be her little sister…

Giving Icelynn a small smile, I turned over to go to sleep.

_I don't care whether or not Storm is a dragon… If he upsets my big sister, I'll find the biggest newspaper I can and smack him on the nose…_ I quietly giggled to myself, as I drifted off.

~X~ _Icelynn_ ~X~

When I began to wake up, I could hear scratching. Opening my eyes, I blinked away the blurriness as I sat up halfway, I looked over towards the desk to find Lucy sitting at it scribbling away. From the familiar stack of papers sitting closer to her right than normal, I could tell that she was working on her novel again.

Sitting up the rest of the way caused my bed to creak, alerting Lucy that I was now awake. Turning around, Lucy gave me a bright smile.

"Oh, morning." She told me, as I flipped my covers off of me.

"Hey…" I responded, my voice thick from misuse, as I turned to put my feet on the floor. "What time is it?" I asked her then, as I stretched.

"Well, it's almost ten." She answered me, as I let out a low curse.

"Damn… What time did you get up?" I asked her, as I stood up from my bed, and went to get my usual change of clothes for the day.

"Closer to eight." She answered, as she turned back around to face her work. "You hungry? Or would you rather eat at the guild."

"Guild's fine…" I answered, as I turned to face the curtain that leads into the bathroom. "Do you need the bathroom? I need a shower." I asked Lucy who shook her head no.

"Nah, I'm good." She said, as she went back to writing.

Giving one more stretch, I entered the bathroom and got the shower going. About half an hour later I emerged wearing my fresh outfit and running my towel through my long black hair. Pausing by the clothes hamper by the bathroom door, I dropped my towel in once my hair was mostly dry and grabbed my hairbrush from the dresser, then went back to sit on my bed while I worked on the tangles.

As I did this, I caught a familiar scent coming from the _chimney_ of all places. I went to stand to go over and see why it smelled like ice magic, but before I could so much as get my ass off my bed, Gray is pulling himself out through the unlit fireplace in just his boxers. All I could do was stare at him in shock as he stood to his feet. Without so much as a smudge of soot on him I might add.

_Honestly, why can't he or Natsu seem to know how to use a fucking door?_ I wondered to myself in annoyance.

While I contemplated this, Gray finished straightening out his boxer shorts and turned to give me a wave in greeting as he sat in one of the chairs by the small table Lucy and I eat our meals. Giving him a nod in reply, I simply went back to brushing my hair like he hadn't just broken in, while he began checking my and Lucy's apartment out. Glancing over at Lucy, I could see that she was still writing away, clueless to our intruding friend.

In fact, she didn't even move for a good few minutes before she finally put her pen down to stretch out her arms and look out the window.

"It's such a nice day out…" she began, as she dropped her arms to the desk. "I think I might go do a little shopping later… You want to come with, Ice?" she asked me as I finished brushing out my hair.

"I don't know… Maybe…" I answered, as I began braiding my hair, feeling like keeping it out of my face for today.

"Are you kidding? For seventy thousand jewels a month for digs like these, I'd say go for it with the money you save." Gray put in his two jewels worth, as Lucy nodded in agreement with him.

"Precisely!" Lucy began as she turned to face me, only to freeze up as her eyes widened a bit. "Wait a minute…" she muttered as she turned to look at Gray.

I swear, she looked at him bug eyed for at least two minutes before she screamed _INTRUDER ALERT_ and sprung from where she sat to kick Gray out of the dinning chair he occupied. While Gray lay sprawled out from the shock of what had just happened to him, Lucy was grilling him about not only breaking in, but stripping in our house. When Lucy said all that she thought was needed, she turned a pouting glare in my direction.

"Come on, Icelynn! I thought you were supposed to be on the lookout for creeps?" she whined at me, as I rose an eyebrow in her direction.

"You asked me to make sure _Natsu and Happy_ didn't try to sneak in, you said nothing about Gray or the rest of Fairy Tail." I reminded her with a scoff as Lucy huffed at me.

"Hold on I can explain!" Gray shouted then, as he came out of his stupor, drawing my and Lucy's attention to him and away from each other. Seeing that he had it, Gray crossed his arms and turned to the side.

"I was naked when I got here." He said, explaining his lack of clothing save his underwear. Giving him a dry look, Lucy simply pointed towards the front door.

"Get out…" she ordered, only for Gray to ignore her.

"Geez… I see that you two forgot about today, huh?" he asked, as Lucy and I gave each other confused looks.

"What about today?" Lucy asked him, as I tried thinking back to any important dates Lucy and I were supposed to remember.

_Birthday…? No, Mira would have made a mention of it… Guild anniversary…? Nah, Mira would have mentioned that too... Fight…? Wait…_ I thought, as I went back over the last few days.

"Lucy, didn't you tell me that Natsu had challenged Erza to a fight before you all left Magnolia Station?" I asked my sister then, as she got a look of recognition on her face that was quickly leaning towards panic.

"Oh no! You're right!" she exclaimed, worry etching into her face.

"Yeah… I figured that after everything that happened you wouldn't remember, so I came by to remind you two. They're going to fight their rematch at the guild in just a little bit." Gray said, confirming what we recalled.

"Gah! Oh, alright fine, just give me a minute to get changed…" Lucy said, as she darted over to her dresser to pull out a fresh set of her own usual clothes. "Icelynn, are you good to go?" she asked me then.

"Yeah, just need to get my boots on." I answered her, as I got up long enough to grab them from the foot of the bed.

Once Lucy fled to the bathroom and got changed, and we both had our own set of boots on, we followed Gray out of the front door. After I directed him _away_ from the fireplace of course, and he grabbed his discarded clothes and put them back on. As we got within a block of the guild hall, we suddenly found ourselves having to navigate a rather good-sized crowd.

"Okay, I guess this rematch is a big deal, huh?" I asked Gray as we pushed our way through.

"Are you kidding me? Most of the people here just want to see Erza wipe the floor with that flame brain." Gray answered, as I gave him a knowing look.

"Let me guess, you're one of them?" Lucy asked him next, as Gray gave us a smirk.

"Damn straight!" He answered, then muttered under his breath. "Even though I want to be the one to do it."

_Wow, even Luce saw that one a mile away._ I thought in amusement as we finally managed to get towards the inner ring of the circle that surrounded both Erza and Natsu, who stood directly in the center facing each other. Off to the side of them, just in the edge of the crowd was Master Makarov. From the looks of things, they were waiting for him to signal the beginning of the fight.

Catching a whiff of another familiar scent, I turned just in time to see Mira waving at Lucy, Grey, and me. Seeing my gaze turn that way, Lucy looked over as well.

"Hey Lucy, Icelynn, Gray!" she called to us, as we three went over.

"Hey Mira!" Lucy called back, as I gave her a wave. Gray on the other hand just nodded his greeting. Once that was out of the way, Lucy turned her worried eyes back towards Natsu and Erza. "Wow, I can't believe that they are actually going through with this." She said, as Elfman, who stood behind Mira with Macao standing on his right, scoffed at Lucy's statement.

"Are you kidding! If those two value their manhood they'll go through with it." He said, as I raised an eyebrow at his choice of words.

"Um… Erza isn't a man." Mira corrected him, as Macao gave us a sly grin.

"Yeah, but you have to admit that Erza's manly…" He said, as I rolled my eyes.

Ignoring them, Lucy looked back at Gray and I.

"Aren't you guys worried that this will tear our strongest team apart?" Lucy asked, as Gray gave her a confused look.

"_Our strongest team?_" he repeated back to her.

"You, Natsu, Erza, and Icelynn you dummy." She told him, as I choked on air.

"Whoa, hold on, I am _not_ a part of anybody's team. My joining was temporary. Besides, with how destructive we can be all together, I think it'll be best if my temporary status on this team stays that way. Especially if we want to be able to pay rent without getting behind." I corrected Lucy, who gave me a pout. Giving her a look that tells her I'm not budging, she huffed and let it go.

As for Gray on the other hand, he became a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah right… With or without Icelynn, the three of us being the strongest team - What idiot fed you that lie." He said with a chuckle, as I began to wonder that myself. It definitely wasn't Master Makarov; he wouldn't have formed such a team for fear of the damage it would cause. Our destroying the guild masters conference hall is proof enough of that.

At Gray's words though, Mira's bright and sunny happy face turned really dark and sad within seconds as she cried into her hands. Seeing it, Gray began to feel like a total ass as he tried his best to apologize and console her.

"Nice and smooth, Gray." Lucy told him sarcastically as Elfman gave us a serious look. To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't try to punch Gray. Then again, now that I think about it, Elfman didn't really stand against Gray or Natsu in that first guild brawl Lucy and I witnessed.

"Well, I will admit that both Natsu and Gray are pretty tough, but there are guys in the guild who are stronger than those two combined." He said, then his serious look turned into a grin as he pointed to himself. "Except maybe this guy!" he proclaimed, not willing to let his _manly pride_ take a hit.

"But calling Erza the strongest woman is a safe bet." A new voice said, as Levy, Jet, and Droy joined our little group. "Although, that might change now that we have another dragon slayer in the guild, and a girl one at that." She added, as Lucy greeted her with a hug.

Hearing her, I couldn't help but gently scoff at that idea.

"While that's kind of you Levy, I highly doubt it." I told her as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, Levy might be right about that one Icelynn. You've done pretty well for yourself on the solo jobs you've been on. Not to mention that you're a lot less destructive on your own like Erza is." Mira agreed, giving me a small smile. "To be honest, I'm surprised that Natsu hasn't challenged you to a fight yet." She said then, as I teasingly put a finger to my lips in a shushing motion.

"Just don't give him any bright ideas." I told her with a smirk before I became serious. "Even if he does, we wouldn't be able to have a match out here in front of the guild hall." I said, as everyone in our little group turned confused looks my way.

"How come?" Levy asked me then.

"Well, by it's very nature, dragon slayer magic is really destructive." I answered her. "Not only would there be a shit ton of property damage, but I'm pretty sure some of the spectators would end up getting hurt from being caught up in the attacks."

"Wow… That makes sense." Levy agreed, as Jet spoke up next.

"Yeah, well while that takes care of the girls, it's a lot tougher for the guys." He said, as we all turned our attention to him. "For us, I'd have to put my money on Laxus or Mystogen."

"Aren't those two the other S-Class wizards in the guild?" I asked him, as he nodded his head once.

Once again, I have Lucy's ramblings about Sorcerer Weekly to thank for what I know about Fairy Tail. Of the three current major S-Class wizards present in the guild, I'm sure that Laxus Dryer, who must be related to Makarov somehow seeing as they have the same last name, won it first. Erza got it the following year, then Mystogen was the last major player of the guild to have achieved the ranking. Gildarts Clive is another long-standing S-Class wizard, but the last time Lucy brought that name up, rumor had it that he was going off on an exceedingly long and difficult job for the guild.

Just as I was being pulled out of my musings by Mira quietly wailing on how she thought how well _Team Natsu_ would work together, I could have sworn I saw a flash of yellow and black pass by one of the windows on the second floor of the guild. Turning to look up at the window, I saw that no one was there. Yet, I began to get the unshakable feeling that we were being watched…

Keeping my eyes on that window for a few moments longer, I shook my head and looked away.

_Come on, Icelynn… With all of this going on out here, who would want to wait around in the guild hall. It was probably just a curious little bird_. I silently scolded myself, as I spotted a bit of blue flying over towards the entrance to the guild hall. Looking over, I saw Happy approaching Cana who sat cross legged by the front doors. On one side of her sat a betting poster, and on the other was the pot the money was going into.

With Happy being best friends with Natsu, I figured that's who he would bet on to win. Imagine not only my surprise, but also the watching Lucy's when he put his money on Erza in the first round.

"Is he really betting against his own best friend?" Lucy asked out loud, as I turned to look back at Natsu and Erza.

From the looks of it, Erza had re-quipped while I had been distracted. The armor she now wore had the warm colors you'd normally associate with flames.

"That's her Flame Empress Armor." Levy filled us in once she caught our intrigued looks. "So long as Erza wears that, Natsu's flames will only be half as effective." She told us while we watched as the two take on their own battle stances.

"Geez Erza, at least give the poor kid a fighting chance!" we hear the familiar voice of Wakaba call out as we waited.

Throwing her arms around and crushing me, Lucy gave a fake cry as she saw Cana put in a few more bets.

"Why is everyone picking sides!? I don't want either Natsu or Erza to lose!" She said, as Gray gave her a side long look.

"Then cheer for both of them." I said, as I then gave Lucy a dry look. "And Sis… Could you maybe _get off_ _of me_?" I asked her, as Lucy squeaked and jumped back muttering a _sorry_ as she went.

Now that I wasn't being crushed, Lucy and I looked back up in time to see Makarov raise his staff into the air. As he did, the crowd immediately went quiet in anticipation for the first round to start.

"Round One Start!" Master Makarov declared, as Natsu lunged at Erza, who in turn wasted no time in summoning a fire blade to fight against Natsu with.

Little did I know though, that as I was watching my two friends in their match, I really was being watched as well…

~X~ Guild Hall: Second Floor ~X~

_Well isn't she a perceptive one…_ I thought to myself, as I leaned back against the outer wall next to the very same window that newbie thought she saw me in.

When I had heard that Gramps had allowed a couple more mages to join the guild, I figured that they would just be another couple of weaklings like all the rest. Part of the reason why I even bothered to stop by the guild today other than to pick up another job for me and my team, was to observe the two newcomers.

So far, the blonde one doesn't impress me much. Save that nice-looking rack she's got. However, I decide to leave it at that, seeing as she's a bit on the young side for me. I'd say that she's about four maybe five years younger than Bixlow. Knowing him, he'd definitely check her out further.

As for the dark haired one, she's not as busty as Blondie, but she's sure got a set of tits herself. Nice ass too from what I could see making my way here to the point of which she caught a glimpse of me anyway. She's also a bit older than the other one, so I feel less like a creep in checking her out. However, as for her worth to the guild, I'll just have to see when I put my plan to save this guild into action. If she ends up proving herself, I might just end up seducing her.

She's not as _soft _looking as the blonde, just a bit toned in the way women get when they take the time to train themselves. Not to mention the stamina that would bring with it. Hell, I could feel myself swell a bit at the thought of the night flying by with her in a bed. Not to mention that the old man would be retired by this time, and I wouldn't get an earful for having casual sex with another member.

While this and relationships were never forbidden to begin with, it was a point that the two involved would have to be extremely careful. Team dynamics and all of that fucking bullshit. As for the sleeping around, it would only be brought up to the master if problems arose. Relationships are a bit different. The two involved would have to let the master know when it starts and inform him when it falls through.

Yet another load of bullshit. Relationships involve emotions, and emotions do nothing but make you weaker, and unable to do what needs to be done most of the time. They save nothing, and just give people something to betray or disappoint you with.

As these thoughts went through my head, I felt a small electric charge beginning to dance around my fingertips. Raising my hand to observe it, I couldn't help but think about the many hours I had to spend training myself to be the strongest wizard this guild has. Everyone down there watching flame brain and Scarlet knows it, even if they don't really think it. Well, maybe not flame brain.

Natsu Dragneel is pretty powerful in his magic, but he's too untamed to be of any use. In the new Fairy Tail I'm going to create, if he impresses, I'll have to see about changing that. Right now, like Erza, I'd wipe the floor with him in seconds without having to use a single zap of my lightning against him.

Clenching my hand into a fist, I took a deep breath and let the charge still dancing around my fingers fizzle out. Once it was out, I caught a flash of green out of the corner of my eye approaching the mob outside. Looking back out the window from where I stood, I spotted one of those frog subordinates of the Magic Counsel approaching.

"Looks like the fights over with." I muttered to myself as I turned away from the window and went to my usual seat up here on the second floor. "How fucking boring…"

Kicking my chair back where I sat above the bar, I watched as everyone outside began filing in with depressed faces. Save Mirajane who was angrily scolding a flailing salamander she took to the bar. Putting it under a glass, she simply finished scolding what had to be Natsu, which I don't find surprising. From bits of conversations I could hear, sounds like that frog came here to arrest Scarlet for property damages she, flame brain, Fullbuster, and some chick named Icelynn caused. Has to be one of the two newbies.

Looking up as the two came through the door, I figured that the one named Icelynn has to be the black haired and _blue_-eyed chick. With ice blue eyes like hers, I can see how the name would fit, not that I give a flying fuck. As I watched the two, I saw as the black-haired girl only made it a few steps into the door before she pauses in her tracks. Blondie, who was talking nonstop about what had just happened, kept on walking without realizing that she was leaving her friend or whatever behind.

Watching as the black-haired chick's nose twitched as she began sniffing the air, I felt my head tilt to the side as I contemplate her. Could she be some kind of beast mage, or maybe a takeover mage like Mirajane?

_Interesting… She's barely set foot inside the guild, and already she can tell that a scent she's never smelt before is here._ I thought to myself as her face slowly turned upwards to look along the second floor. _Could she be a?_ I wondered to myself as my gaze locked on to hers.

The moment her eyes clashed with mine, I watched as they turned a lighter shade of blue, and the pupil became more like that of a reptile or a cat's.

_Or a dragon slayer's…_ I thought as I held her gaze.

As I did though, I couldn't help but feel a sense of recognition in seeing her eyes do this. I knew for a damn fact that I'd never seen her around here before, so why would I think this?

_Could she have been a past client of the guild?_ I wondered to myself as I didn't back down from her gaze. _No, she couldn't be. I'd have remembered a woman looking like that… Unless its from further back…_ I wondered, as I remembered what happened to me as a kid.

At my thoughts going back to that _place_, I felt myself becoming pissed.

_Come on, Laxus get a grip._ I scolded myself as I scoffed at the newbie. _I'm a hell of a lot stronger than to let that kind of fucking bullshit bother me anymore. I got stronger like my dad wanted, even if the way he went about it was fucked up._ I thought as I looked away from the girl downstairs as my thoughts darkened. _And besides, with how Gramps never spoke about _that_ girl again, I'm sure that she's dead…_

Cutting that thought and the fucking emotions right there, I went back to just observing and listening to the guild…

~X~ Icelynn ~X~

Watching as Erza was slapped into magic canceling handcuffs, I found myself unconsciously rubbing the skin of my wrists. I understand that this is just procedure for them, but that won't change the experience being in a set of them for a couple of years gave me. Forcing myself to stop, I watched along with the rest of the guild as Erza was loaded into the back of a prisoner's carriage the magic counsel had sent to pick her up.

Thinking back to how her fight with Natsu ended, I couldn't help but be confused.

On our way back to Magnolia after dealing with Eisenwald in Clover, we all figured that the magic counsel would send a mountain of complaints and a huge repair bill to Fairy Tail; but I never would have imagined that they would come all the way out here from Era to arrest one of us. Not only that, but it's also the fact that they arrested Erza, and Erza _alone_ for those eleven counts of property damage.

_This just doesn't add up. If they were going to press charges, then they would have arrested me, Natsu, and Gray too._ I thought as the carriage slowly began to pull away. _Lucy and Happy would have just been escorted back to Magnolia along with Makarov by the Rune Knights until a trial could be set up at Era, and then would have been called in for questioning. Unless…_ I thought to myself, as Lucy and I followed our fellow, albeit disappointed guild mates into the guild hall. _Could this just be a formality?_ I wondered, as Lucy let out a long, depressed sigh that had me coming back to reality.

"I can't believe this!" Lucy said, as we waited to get inside. "Why would they just come and take Erza away like that!? We stopped Lullaby for them, didn't we? Geez, just how ungrateful could they be!?" she complained, as we inched our way closer to the door.

"I don't think that has anything to do with it, Luce." I replied. "To be honest, if it was about property damage, then they would have made three more arrests in addition to Erza." I told her, as she gave me a worried look.

"Wait, do you mean that they are planning to pin everything on her?" Lucy asked me then as I shrugged at her.

"I don't know." I told her as we kept walking. "We'll just have to wait and see what Master Makarov has to say about this. Although, I do have a feeling that charging off to save Erza might make things more complicated."

Lucy went to fuss some more but held up when Romeo popped up from the bushes holding a little, pink salamander wearing a familiar black and orange striped vest.

"Hey! Look everyone! My daddy caught Natsu trying to sneak away!" he called out to us as Mira wove her way through the crowd to get to the kid.

"HEY, LET ME GO YOU JERKS! WE HAVE TO GET ERZA BACK! WHAT ABOUT MY REMATCH!" the little thing fussed.

_Is it just me, or does Natsu not smell right?_ I thought. I brushed it off as it probably being the spell keeping him in that form though. Sometimes magic does alter someone's sent for a while. Then again, why didn't Macao bring him out instead of Romeo.

With this thought, I began to have a bad feeling. The only way to prove whether or not this was really Natsu would be to undo the spell. However, if we do that and it is Natsu, then it would become a shit show to try and keep him from actually chasing off after Erza.

_With me being the only other dragon slayer present, I'll probably have to be the one to at least slow him down until Makarov can get out here to subdue him… _I thought bitterly.

"Natsu! There's nothing you can do!" Mira scolded the little salamander as Romeo handed it to her by the tail.

Holding it gently as she could without it escaping, she headed back into the guild hall. Lucy and I let her pass us by before we entered so she could go and contain Natsu somewhere. As we finally got over the threshold, Lucy was still talking about how unfair the magic counsel was when I caught a scent that I did not previously detect in the guild.

The scent of rain and thunder…

Lucy didn't notice as I stopped dead in my tracks as I suddenly found myself back in that cell, the lightning shaking the very foundation of the hellish place that cell was located, and that boy whose face I didn't see. Whose name I did not catch.

The one person I would only ever be able to identify by his scent alone.

As I scanned the crowd of guild mates around me, I could feel my eyes sharpen a bit, telling me that they changed. I kept taking in the scents of the room, trying to pinpoint where the thunderstorm scent was coming from. Then, almost as if I were in a trance, I found myself looking up towards the second floor as I remember that I thought I saw someone up there while I was outside.

Sure enough, I found my gaze locking with a stormy set of blue green eyes. The guy that these eyes were attached to was leaning back in a chair, watching me. He had to have been watching me since before Erza was carted off, I did feel that someone was. So much for it just being a yellow bird…

He had spiky blonde hair, and a lightning bolt shaped scar going down the right side of his face. Starting up in his right eyebrow and going down past his eye and down his cheek. He wore a, in my opinion, not so flattering mustard yellow leopard print shirt. Over his shoulders sat a black coat with a fur trim. Over his ears, he wore sound pods that had spikes on each earpiece. Thanks to my dragon slayer hearing, I could tell that he was listening to some kind of rock music. Not sure what exactly with how far away he is, and how low he has the volume.

_He's definitely who I saw pass by that window, but is he the same guy from _that_ night?_ I couldn't help but wonder as this stranger's gaze, which has been locked on to mine for quite a few moments now, hardened and he scoffed at me before turning to look in another direction.

The moment he looked away, it felt like some kind of spell had been broken, and I felt a faint blush trying to rise to my cheeks. Honestly, I couldn't believe myself. Why would I let a look like that bother me so much? It's not like I was the one caught staring, hell no, _he_ was the one who was caught!

_No, I'm embarrassed because he saw my eyes change color with my emotions like some ninny… Besides, just what the hell is his problem? Does he get off on staring at people then dismissing them?_ I wondered, as Lucy turned to look at me, only to find that I had been left behind.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. When I opened them again, my sight was no longer sharper than a human's. Shaking my head at Lucy's concerned look to tell her I was fine, I followed her to an empty table. Sitting on the opposite side of Lucy, I watched as she fell into silence and put her head down on the table's surface. Taking in the saddened face she had, I looked at all of my other guild mates to see similar expressions.

Looking back towards the bar where Makarov had taken his usual seat on the bar top, I saw Mira standing in her usual place by the stairs, and on the other end underneath an upside-down glass was _Natsu_ in salamander form. From the sounds of it, he had yet to cease begging Mira and Makarov to let him out.

"PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE LET ME OUT! I'LL BE GOOD YOU GUYS, I SWEAR!" he declared, as Mira's stern look from before returned to her face as she moved to be eye level with the little critter.

"Natsu, you should just calm down." Mira told him, sounding annoyed that she had to go over this again with him. "If we turn you back, you'll just go on a rampage so you can take off after Erza."

"GIVE ME A BREAK! I COULDN'T CARE LESS WHAT HAPPENS TO HER, I JUST WANT TO FINISH MY REMATCH!" _Natsu_ fussed once more.

"Even if we all wanted to help her, there's no way that we can take on the magic counsel. We'd just end up being arrested along with her at that rate." Gray said, as the little salamander turned to look at him.

"BUT DON'T THOSE OLD GUYS KNOW THAT ERZA ONLY DID WHAT SHE HAD TO IN ORDER TO SAVE THE GUILD MASTERS FROM THOSE DARK MAGES AND THEIR EVIL DEATH FLUTE!" the little salamander said then, as I tilted my head to the side. I expected Natsu to pick a fight, not try to reason with _Gray_ of all people…

_Okay, it's settled, that is not Natsu._ I thought tiredly as Gray just continued on like nothing was up.

"Don't you get it? If the magic counsel says that you're guilty, you're guilty regardless of what you say or do." He said, as the salamander _backed_ down.

In seeing this, and with me still being in a bit of a mood from before, I got up from where I sat. Ignoring Lucy's curious look, I went up to the bar.

"I don't get it. We've destroyed tons of things in the past, yet they've never done this before." Elfman said, as a round of agreements went around. Ignoring them as well, I grabbed one of the stools and pulled it over enough that I could sit in front of the glass. Once I had it in place, I sat down and folded my arms on the bar top, followed by my chin as I stared directly into the little salamander's eyes.

Seeing my intense gaze, it began to get nervous. Sure, I could say something and end this farce, but its already too late to stop Natsu from going after Erza and fucking up her trial.

_From the way things played out, I'm betting that this is Macao. He did owe Natsu a favor after all_. I thought, as Macao began to look everywhere except at me.

"This isn't right! We should be there to testify!" Lucy said then, as she stood up from where she sat.

"We aren't going to court." Makarov said, as Lucy moved towards the bar where he sat to protest.

"Why not, Master?" Lucy asked him. "We can't just sit here and let them charge her for something she's innocent in."

"He's right, Lucy." I said then, as everyone turned their attention towards me. Looking from Macao to my sister. "Even if we were to leave right now, the trial, if you could call it that, would already be over."

"What do you mean, Icelynn?" Mira asked me then, as I turned to look at her.

"Well, for starters, Erza wasn't the only one who destroyed the conference hall, and parts of Oshibana station. Gray, Natsu, and I would have been arrested too had this been the case." I said, as I turned to face Macao again. Placing my hand over the bottom, I began slowly making the air inside of it cold. "With the fact that we weren't arrested in mind, and that a demon from the book of Zeref was involved; even though it was a weaker version of the others mind you, only one thing makes sense." I said, as I made the glass a tiny bit colder. Inside, Macao was beginning to shiver. Serves him right for not picking a better time to pay back that favor for Natsu.

"They're planning on making Erza a scapegoat to keep the peace so to speak." I finished, as I lowered my face to look closer at Macao. "Right? _Salamander?_" I asked him mockingly.

"COME ON ICELYNN! CUT THAT OUT, I'M BEGINNING TO FREEZE IN HERE!" Macao begged me, still trying to hang on to his guise as Natsu.

"What's wrong _Natsu_? I thought it took extremely cold temperatures for _fire dragon slayers_ to so much as get a tiny chill." I responded then, as everyone in the guild hall turned their attention to the little guy. "If you're cold, just heat yourself up." I told him.

Hearing a chuckle coming from Master Makarov, I glance over in time to see the knowing look in his eyes. Looks like he's known for a while that Natsu wasn't here. I guess he chose not to say anything for the same reason I did, that Natsu had probably left about the same time Erza did, so it was too late to do anything.

Now that I think about it, Happy's been gone this whole time too.

The only response I got to my challenge was a burning glare from Macao. He may be a fire mage in his own right, but if he were to use his magic now, his transformation would break, and his façade would swiftly come to an end. Not that it will go on for much longer if Makarov's expression is anything to go by.

Moving my hand, I got up from my stool as Macao's attention was then taken up by the guild master.

"What's the matter Natsu? Has the fire gone out in your belly?" Makarov asked him then as Macao scratched his chin. When he didn't say anything more. Makarov held out his hand and sent a tiny blast of his magical energy at the glass Macao was trapped under.

Letting out a little shriek as the glass was sent flying, the blast was enough to startle Macao and cause him to turn back into his original form. Seeing this, everyone who had been paying close attention went bug eyed from the shock of it turning out to be Macao instead of Natsu.

"THAT WAS YOU!?" Laki, Lucy, and Elfman exclaimed as Gray turned his shocked eyes towards me.

"Hold on, how did you know it wasn't Natsu, Icelynn?" he asked me, as I gave him a droll stare.

"Well. firstly, Romeo said that his dad had turned Natsu into a salamander to keep him from getting away. If that was the case, then Macao would have had _Natsu _instead. Secondly, since when has Natsu _ever_ reasoned with you instead of picking a fight?" I asked him then, as he blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, you got me there…" He muttered, as we all then turned to look at the sheepish face Macao was giving us.

"Sorry you guys, I owed Natsu a favor for helping me out of that mess on Mount Hakobe." He told us, as he then fessed up to turning himself into a salamander with the sole purpose of letting Natsu slip away to go get Erza.

"You've got to be kidding me! That dumbass will try to fight the whole counsel!" Elfman shouted, as he clenched his fists. If I didn't know any better, then I'd say he was a bit sad that he would be missing out on the fun Natsu would have.

"Would everyone just calm down." Makarov said then, as we all went silent. "We have no choice but to wait and see what happens." He said, as I shrugged my shoulders.

Besides, I'm sure that the most that'll happen to both Erza and Natsu is that they'd have to spend a night in a cell…

With that in mind, Lucy and I went back to our table to discuss what to do with the rest of our day. As I sat down, I couldn't help but look back up to the second floor again to see if that guy from before was still there. Only to find that the seat he once filled was now bare.

In the end, I decide to let it go for now. If that guy is a member of this guild, then I'll get other chances to figure out if he was the one who saved me that day, or just some random jackass…

~X~ The Next Day ~X~

The following day, Lucy and I decided to get up on the early side to head to the guild and see if Erza and Natsu had been released yet. Poor Lucy was so tired from spending the previous night worrying over our two friends, that she decided to forgo walking along the canal like usual.

"I hope they weren't charged with anything…" I heard Lucy mutter as she held Plue close to her chest for comfort.

"I'm sure everything worked out fine, Luce." I told her for what had to be the hundredth time. "If Natsu and Erza have already been released, I'm sure we'll find Natsu running around the guild hall snorting fire." I told her, which made her giggle a bit at the imagery.

"Yeah, I can totally see that…" she agreed, as she snuggled Plue a bit. "Let's not forget about Erza enjoying some strawberry cake. That girl sure loves it."

"Well, she'll definitely need it if they put her _and _Natsu in the same cell for the night." I said, as the two guys in the boat we always pass by floated down the canal.

"Hey Lucy! Icelynn!" They called out to us as Lucy and I waved back at them.

"How did they know our names?" Lucy asked me once they had more distance between us.

"Hell, if I know." I replied, as I shrugged my shoulders. "They probably heard our guild mates call out to us. That or they heard through some sort of Fairy Tail fan club grapevine."

Huddling down like she was being stalked or something, Lucy glanced around us.

"You know, you're probably right…" she said, as she held Plue a bit tighter. "With us being members for a little while now, I completely forgot how popular Fairy Tail is."

"Oh, that's rich coming from a girl who has every issue of Sorcerer Weekly that contains so much as a whisper of Fairy Tail hidden beneath her bed." I said, gently elbowing her in the side to make Lucy stand up straight.

Letting out a fake gasp of hurt, Lucy proceeded to stick her tongue out at me in response.

"Might I remind you, my dearest big sister, that you would also hang on to each and every word I'd gush about Fairy Tail every time I bought an issue." She shot back.

Letting out an amused sigh, I relented in my teasing.

"Alright, touché." I said, readjusting my bag that I've brought with me.

Instead of wearing my usual outfit of a black tank top, dark jeans, and my brown knee-high boots, I'm wearing the clothes I do when I plan on taking a job from the guild. My bag of course, filled with jewels and supplies needed for light travel, and my dragon slayer books. My black sleeveless shirt with light blue accents, black pants and boots, and leather bracers mirroring the color scheme of my shirt. Not to mention my belt, which holds a regular hunting knife I picked up a few weeks after we fled the Heartfilia Estate.

When I was getting ready, I was in the hopes that Lucy would want to go out on a job with me, seeing as we'll need to start saving up money for more groceries and rent very soon. Not that we would need the money right away, mind you. However, she declined due to how tired she's feeling. She did pretty much worry the whole night away about Erza and Natsu. Happy as well to some extent.

_And like I told her yesterday, I'll team up with the others once in a while, but I'm not going to be a permanent member. Not with how much destruction we all cause._ I thought to myself as Lucy and I finally began nearing the guild hall.

As we got near the door, I began to catch a couple of familiar scents. I opened my mouth to tell Lucy, only to pause when we heard Natsu screaming at the top of his lungs from inside about _freedom_ and _fresh air_. Turning to look at my sister, I had to bite my lip at the flabbergasted look on her face. Ignoring me, Lucy marched right up to the doors and pushed them open to look inside.

Sure enough, just as I described on the way over here, we see Natsu running around spurting a mini fire ball into the air with his mouth. Off to the side, we see Erza sitting by herself with a plate in front of her. A plate that had a piece of strawberry cake slowly being devoured with a stern expression.

"Geez, why do you big sisters always have to be right?" Lucy asked me then, her puppy dog eyes coming out.

Rolling my eyes at her drama, I simply moved passed her to get properly inside the building.

"How the hell should I know?" I ask her in return. "That's about as bad as if I had asked why you little sister's have to be so damn annoying." I told her as Lucy pouted but followed me none the less.

We went over to where Erza sat by herself, and Lucy all but jumped on the poor red headed wizard with her questions about what happened. Not wanting to be caught in that crossfire, I simply went over to the request board to look over the jobs as Erza gave Lucy a look that would shut her up long enough for her to answer my sister.

As I made it about halfway to the board, I pause as that scent from yesterday invaded my senses. Taking a calming breath so I wouldn't flip out like I did yesterday, I continued on my way towards the request board. Once I was there, I turned my body in such a way, and tilted my head like I was considering one of the jobs so I could discreetly look up at the second floor from the corner of my eye. I was relieved to find nobody there, but I could feel just a hint of disappointment mixed in with it.

I didn't really let myself think it yesterday, but that guy wasn't so bad to look at. He may have looked like a total asshole, but he wouldn't go down easily in a fight with an aura like that. He may have been sitting down, but I could tell that he was at least six feet tall, and well built.

Still, I could have done without that odd look he had regarding me. Like he was sizing me up or something. At this thought, I felt a low growl of annoyance rising in my throat.

If I could, I'd go up there myself to see if that guy from yesterday was really up there or not. Maybe ask him why he was staring at me like he was. However, with the only set of stairs leading up there being behind the bar, I don't think base members are allowed up there. Not unless Master Makarov calls us to his office anyway.

Shaking my head at the absurd thoughts going through my mind, I turned to actually look through the jobs on the board as I tuned in my hearing to Erza's answers to Lucy's questions. From the sounds of it, Erza's trial played out like I had thought it would. She was to be found guilty and sent home with a slap on the wrist, at least until Natsu came barging in and destroying things in the court room. After that, they were forced to spend the night in a jail cell.

Once Erza had answered her, Lucy told her that she was happy that she and Natsu had come back safe and sound, then went to spot she could sulk about the lost hours of sleep she needlessly wasted in her worry.

Leaving my sister to her moping, I reached up and pulled one of the job requests down that had looked interesting.

_Okay… Slay our Vulcan… Worth one hundred and sixty thousand jewels out towards Shirostume… Well, this would certainly get us the amount needed for rent, plus ninety thousand jewels left over. That would easily take care of the groceries, and any extra money Lucy might need to add to any kind of debt she and Team Natsu would rack up._ I thought to myself, as I decided to take it.

It's been a while since I got to fight something, so I think this one will fit me just fine. I may be more relaxed than Natsu, but I'm still a dragon slayer at heart. Going over to the bar, I got Mira to stamp it for me before I rejoined Lucy at the table she had sat at with Gray, Happy, and Elfman.

"I see you found a job." Lucy said, as I sat down.

"Yeah… Slaying a vulcan." I said, as I passed her the flyer.

At hearing the word _vulcan_, Lucy shuddered at the memory of that time she went with Natsu up to Mount Hakobe to help him rescue Macao for Romeo.

"Wow, okay, please just be careful." She told me, passing the flyer back towards me.

"Oh, don't worry. Any of those animals think that they can try and kidnap me, I'll just turn their hides into rugs for the guild." I joked, as I gave her a wink.

_Alright, I'll admit it, that was a bit out there…_ I thought to myself as Lucy gave me a horrified look.

"Okay, that would just be plain creepy as hell!" Lucy protested, as she put her head down on the table's surface. "Geez, I thought I ran out of the ability to worry after all I did last night." She said, as Gray got a look of realization on his face.

"Wait, so Erza wasn't a sacrificial lamb, but a _scapegoat_." He said, as I raised an eyebrow at him.

_Okay, and I thought I made creepy jokes…_ I thought as I stared at him.

"You must be one hell of an ice wizard, cause even your jokes leave me cold." Elfman muttered, a dreadful look on his face. At hearing this, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Turning away from the two crazy guys, Lucy gave me a curious look.

"Anyway, what time are you thinking about leaving?" she asked me, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'll probably head out in a bit. Maybe stopover in Kunugi or something to sleep and head out for Shirotsume in the morning." I answered her. "From there, it just depends on how long it takes me to track that vulcan down."

After that, Lucy and I lapsed into silence. However, it didn't last seeing as the next time Natsu ran past where we sat, Elfman called out to him.

"Hey Natsu! Aren't you going to finish going man to man with Erza?" he asked him, as I shrank a bit in my seat. Not even trying to hide the growl in my voice, I gave Elfman a quick kick to the shin for his part to play in the death of the peace we were all currently enjoying. While Elfman dealt with his bruised leg, Natsu stopped his screaming about freedom and turned to look at where Erza had just finished her cake.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!" he said, as he then turned to address her. "What do you say Erza, do you want to pick up where we left off?" Natsu asked her, as Erza took a sip of the tea she had as well.

"I'm not in the mood right now, Natsu." She told him, that stern look from before still on her face. It was clear that she'd rather be left alone right now. Unfortunately, it's Natsu we're dealing with here.

"I ain't letting you off that easily!" Natsu shouted as he lit one of his fists on fire and charged at Erza.

Muttering under her breath, Erza simply stood up from where she sat, and waited for Natsu to reach her. Then, without using a single bit of magic, Erza jabbed her fist into an open spot on Natsu's side. Making the fire breather keel over on the spot. When he fell over and whimpered his defeat, Lucy, Gray, and Elfman all looked on in shock. Scoffing at it myself, I simply turned to face forward again.

"Oh please, you could see that coming a mile away." I told them as the three of them began to calm down.

"How's that? You satisfied now?" Erza asked him, as Happy hovered over his best friend.

"And Natsu's out!" Happy declared as Gray and Elfman fell into fits of laughter.

Simply choosing to ignore the lot of them, I went to speak to Lucy again, only to pause as I hear Mira over at the bar ask Makarov if he was alright.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just… Sleepy…" He answered her as he turned his old gaze to the front doors of the guild hall. "_He's_ coming…" he said, as Mira passed out behind the bar. I had half a mind to head over to see if she was alright but rethought that as I began to feel rather sleepy myself.

Looking around me, I could see that Elfman, Lucy and Gray all looked like they were about ready to drop. Hell, even Erza wasn't spared from the effects of what was happening. Realizing this, I felt panic trying to take ahold of my mind as my gaze sharpened again.

"Not again…" I heard Gray say, as I focused on my breathing, trying my best to fight what has to be a sleeping spell. If that's the case, then Gray saying that means that this isn't an enemy trying to overtake us, but a normal occurrence as a result of a spell cast by an _ally_.

Hearing a thud right in front of me, I looked up to see that Lucy had fallen asleep under the spell. Seeing my little sister knocked out forced a growl to rise in my throat. If this really is an ally, then why is he making himself seem like an _enemy_ to my instincts? While I wondered about this, I heard several more thuds coming from behind me, indicating that the rest of my guild mates were falling under as well.

Looking back towards Master Makarov, I saw the look he was trying to convey to me. Telling me silently to not fight against the spell, to trust in the member of Fairy Tail doing this.

To trust someone that I don't know… Not an easy task… Not after what happened with that bastard…

However, I know that I can trust Makarov as the master of the guild I belong to. Knowing this, I put my head down on the table, and let the spell overtake me as well…

I don't know how much time passed while we were out, but before long I could hear someone counting.

_Five…_

_ Four…_

_ Three…_

_ Two…_

_ One…_

As the last number was counted out, I felt all traces of being asleep vanish into thin air. Sitting up a little too quickly, I put a hand to my head to will away the rest of the grogginess I could feel.

"Geez, was Mystogen here again?" I heard Jet ask everyone from where he sat with Droy and Levy.

"He's such a jerk!" Droy exclaimed, as Lucy sat up with a confused look on her face.

"Who is this Mystogen they're talking about?" she asked Gray and Elfman.

"Mystogen?" Elfman clarified, as a drop of sweat began to form on his temple. "He's a contender for Fairy Tail's strongest wizard." He answered, as Gray nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, and for some odd reason, he doesn't want anyone to see what he looks like. So, he puts everyone to sleep when he stops by the guild to pick up a job and do… Whatever it is that he does." Gray explained, as he turned to look at where Makarov still sat looking a little sleepy. "Master Makarov over there is the only one to have seen Mystogen's face."

As he said this, we all turned to look at our master as well. However, it would seem someone felt like Gray's statement couldn't go unchallenged. And did I mention that this time, it's not Natsu speaking against him.

"That's not true, I've seen him before." We heard a voice say from above us, as a shiver went down my spine as the stormy scent from yesterday became stronger. This time, I wasn't alone as I looked up towards the second floor.

The same guy from yesterday was back, only this time he was leaning against the railing up there. Seeing that he had everyone's attention, the guy let out a chuckle.

"Laxus?" Elfman said in confusion, as I felt my eyes widen a bit at what Elfman had called that guy.

"Wow, you're almost never here." I heard Wakaba say off to the side, despite not taking my eyes from the second floor.

_So, he's Laxus Dryer, the other S-Class wizard that was mentioned yesterday._ I thought in surprise.

"And here's yet another contender." Gray muttered, as he too looked up stairs.

"Mystogen's just a little shy…" Laxus said, as he gave everyone a mocking grin. "You all should just respect his privacy." He scolded us. At these words, I felt yet another growl forming in my throat as I got the urge to bare my fangs at this bastard.

_Says the guy who reportedly said that he's seen Mystogen's face before_. I thought in annoyance.

Before anyone could make an argument, Natsu hops up from where he had been lying unconscious from Erza's blow and holds up a fist in Laxus' direction. If I didn't know any better, then I'd say that hearing Laxus' voice was what made him come to. Another chance to have a rematch or something.

"Alright Laxus! Let's go! Right now!" Natsu challenged, as Gray gave Natsu a wary look.

"And getting your ass kicked once today isn't enough?" he asked him, as Laxus scoffed at Natsu.

"Listen pal, if you can't win against Scarlet, don't even bother trying me." Laxus told him, as Erza marched up to stand front and center, a look of anger on her face making quite a few people a little scared.

"Just what are you trying to say?" Erza demanded, clenching her fists, ready for a fight as Gray tries to calm her down.

"I'm saying that _I'm_ this guild's strongest wizard." Laxus answered, as Natsu hopped up on one of the tables.

"Oh yeah, why don't you come down here and prove it?" Natsu challenged once again, as Laxus looked down his nose at him.

"_You_ come to _me_ you little punk." Laxus goaded him, as Natsu bared his fangs and jumped down from the table to follow through.

Unfortunately for Natsu, he wasn't able to make it past the bar before Makarov enlarged one of his fists and brought it down on Natsu's back to stop him from reaching the stairs leading up to where Laxus was, making us all gape in shock.

"Natsu, you aren't allowed on the second floor!" Makarov scolded him, only for his voice to become gentler towards the end. "At least… Not yet…"

Chuckling at Makarov's treatment of Natsu, Laxus took one look at Natsu's angry face before he opened his mouth once more. "Looks like you made the kid grumpy, Gramps." He said, as Natsu began to struggle beneath Makarov's hand holding him in place.

"That's enough out of you Laxus!" Makarov scolded him then, as Laxus rolled his eyes at Makarov's tone.

"Oh, please… The strongest in this guild isn't some chick or a hooded freak. You want to know what the strongest member of Fairy Tail looks like?" Laxus asked us, and he pointed at himself. "You're looking right at him."

At hearing this, I couldn't stop the sarcasm from leaving my mouth.

"Yeah, more like a jackass who thinks he's on top of the world." I said, as the guild became deathly silent.

All around, I watched as the few guild mates who stood around me slowly began to back away from where I was, like lightning was about to strike me dead from the heavens or something. Gray and Elfman even took the time to grab Lucy by her arms and gently lead my sister a small distance from where I still sat.

"What was that sweetheart? Got something you want to come up here and say to my face?" he asked me then, as I could feel an electrical charge begin to tickle the air in the guild hall.

_So, he's a lightning mage… _I observed.

Scoffing at him like he did towards me yesterday, I looked away before answering him.

"Sorry, but I think I'll pass. I'm sure that an S-Class wizard like yourself can stroke that over inflated ego all on your own." I retorted, as everyone around me gasped in shock.

As for Laxus, he looked like he could just rip me apart should he get his hands on me. Feeling the heated glare on my back, I slowly turned to take a good look at the raging eyes staring back at me.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, the atmosphere in the guild hall was so thick you could cut it with a knife. My blizzard blue eyes against his stormy blue-green ones, neither of us willing to back down. Don't get me wrong, I still stand by my earlier thoughts on this guy, so I'm not picking a fight with him like Natsu. No, I was putting the point that I will not be intimidated or threatened across to Laxus.

I didn't give a shit if he was an S-Class wizard, or truly related to Master Makarov somehow…

Still, there was this impressed gleam in his eyes, just beneath the surface of the anger, and a hint of a shadow that looks eerily similar to one I have in my own eyes. Either way, it must be strange for Laxus, having me stand up to him and not deflate before him.

~X~ Makarov ~X~

As the words Icelynn spoke to my grandson rang out across the guild hall, I couldn't help but be just as shocked as the rest of my children. Even when Laxus challenged her to try and pull the same stunt as Natsu, that girl still stood up to him without a trace of fear. Not only that, but she's fighting him using his own weapon against him.

Laxus' way with the words that he uses to stir things up here in the guild.

To be honest, I really shouldn't be surprised at this.

From what Icelynn revealed to me about her past, I am certain that she is that girl that Laxus tried to save. After the ordeal they went through was over with, and Laxus was safe, I had gone back to try and see about taking on Icelynn as a ward of Fairy Tail, only to be told that she had died of her injuries.

It was my hope that, seeing as she and Laxus survived that hell together, then maybe they could help each other recover. In being told that she was gone, I tried my best to keep up with the guild and raise my grandson to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, Laxus turned out this way regardless of what I tried to do.

However, seeing that Icelynn is obviously alive and well, that hope I had long ago is now being rekindled. Seeing her stand up to Laxus like she is, gives me hope that maybe she can help save my grandson from the darkness I can sense in him. Like she said she had wanted to do back in that village.

Still, it's about time to calm things down in here.

"Enough!" I called out loud enough for everyone to hear, and for Laxus and Icelynn to break the battle of wills they were waging with their eyes. "I don't want to hear another peep about this for the rest of today. Got that, you brats?" I asked them. Looking at me with a slightly apologetic look, Icelynn nodded her head to show her compliance.

As for Laxus, I didn't even bother looking up towards him. I know that the look he's currently giving me isn't a friendly one.

"Laxus, we will speak of this later young man." I said in a low voice, one I knew he would hear me in.

Hearing his answering grunt of annoyance, I sighed wearily as he moved to sit further back on the second floor, out of everyone's sight.

_I'm getting too old for this…_ I thought sadly, as I turned to ask Mira for another beer. For the lecture I'm going to be giving later on, I'm going to need it…

~X~ Icelynn ~X~

Feeling like I need a drink of the strong variety, I went over to the bar to order something. Lucy, wanting to check up on me, followed me over. As we went, I could catch different bits of the other's conversations despite my trying not to.

_Did you hear what Icelynn said to him?_

_ Yeah, she's definitely got some nerve._

_ I thought for sure that he was going to electrocute her!_

_ At least the Thunder Legion isn't here, Icelynn would have had her hands full if they had been._

_ You have to admit though, it's about time someone gave him a taste of his own medicine._

"Ice, are you okay?" Lucy asked me, as we took a seat in front of Mira.

"Yeah, I'm good… That guy just pissed me off is all." I answered her, as Mira placed a hand on my shoulder.

"What you did was pretty brave Icelynn. Not many here would dare to stand up to Laxus like that." She said, as her expression turned into that of worry. "Still, just be careful, okay. Laxus is pretty powerful in his own right even if he is a jerk." She warned me, as I sighed heavily.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." I replied, as Mira gave me a shot of the booze she keeps hidden from Cana's alcoholic, grabby little fingers. Thanking her, I tossed it back and relished the burn as it slid down my throat while it lasted. With my body's temperature being lower than most, the sensation didn't last long.

Mira tried to offer me another when Lucy ordered a strawberry smoothie, but I turned it down.

"Thanks Mira, but I shouldn't have any more than that if I want to get going before the night's over with." I said, as she nodded in understanding.

A few moments later, Mira returned with Lucy's smoothie. Once she sat it down, Lucy gave her a thoughtful look as she glanced towards the staircase.

"Hey Mira." Lucy called to keep her from moving too far away before she could speak what's on her mind. "I was wondering, why can't regular members go up on the second floor?" she asked, as I sat up a little straighter.

"Okay, I have to admit that I've been wondering that myself." I stated, as I placed my elbow on the top of the bar, followed by my cheek in my hand. "Based on what Master Makarov told Natsu when he stopped him from going up there, I'm guessing it has to deal with the guild's ranking system." I said, as Mira gave me a smile.

"Well, you're not wrong." She answered, as she looked upwards for a moment herself. "The second floor is reserved for the advanced members of the guild. The job requests posted up there make the ones down here look like child's play. These quests, like the wizards who take them on, are called S-Class quests. These jobs are so dangerous, that one wrong move could prove to be fatal. At the same time though, the higher risks come with a greater reward." She explained.

"If I remember the dynamics of the guild leagues correctly, then the master of each guild hand picks which wizards achieves this S-Class ranking." I said, as Mira nodded in my direction.

"Goodness, you sure did your homework before joining up, didn't you?" Mira asked me then, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, I wanted to learn all I could before we picked a guild to join up with, so I researched what I could, when I could." I answered, as I nodded my head towards Lucy. "While I did that, Lucy kept her ear to the ground about what sorts of guilds were around, and which ones seemed like decent options for us."

"Well, I'm glad you two picked Fairy Tail…" Mira said then, giving us both a bright smile. "Anyway, right now, there are only four people who are considered S-Class mages." She said, as I paused.

"Don't you mean five?" I asked her then, as a sad look overcame her eyes. Seeing the familiar haunted look that came with loss, I muttered a _never mind_ and shut my mouth much to Lucy's confusion. I have a lot of my own wounds to worry about without prodding at other peoples.

"Well, there used to be, but not anymore…" Mira said, as she turned to begin cleaning some of the glasses that had already been used earlier today. "Still, I personally don't think you'll need to worry about it. There's not an amount of money that's worth dying over."

"Yeah, no kidding…" Lucy said, as she sipped on her smoothie.

With her question answered, I glanced over at the lacrima clock that sits behind the bar. Seeing that I would have about thirty minutes to get to the train station before the next train is due to depart, I put some jewels down for the drink I had and stood up.

"Alright, I guess I'd better take off." I said, as Lucy turned to look over at me.

"Oh, alright then. I'll see you in a couple of days?" Lucy asked, as she stood up long enough to give me a hug. Returning it, I nodded my head as she stood back.

"Yeah… If I'm any longer, I'll send word." I told her, as she hummed in acknowledgement.

"Okay… See you later, Icelynn." Lucy called out to me as I began making my way towards the guild doors.

Waving back at my sister, I turned to head towards the train station. Taking a deep breath as I walked, I tried my best to not think about the way Laxus looked and spoke to me. Besides, I've got a job to do. While these regular jobs aren't as dangerous as an S-Class job, one wrong move could cost me a quite a bit. Even if a vulcan doesn't run away with me, I could still get hurt by its huge size.

By the time I make it to the train station and bought the ticket to board the next train to Kunugi, I had about ten minutes to spare in finding a comfortable place to sit. Finding a good spot, I waited until the trail pulled out to watch as the scenery passed by.

~X~ The Next Day ~X~

Like I had thought, I had to spend the night at a hotel in Kunugi before I could hire a carriage to bring me out here to Shirotsume. When I finally arrived at the mayor's house, it had just hit seven in the morning. The earliest time the job request recommended for the mage who accepted it to go and see him.

The moment the mayor saw me standing at his door, he became rather relieved that a mage from the guild who brought down that wretched Everlue would be taking care of yet another pest problem for his town. With that being said, I got right down to business. According to the mayor, the vulcan showed up about a week ago, and has been damaging crops, and chasing down any young woman foolish enough to walk near the forest sitting to the South-West of town.

Luckily, none of these girls have been taken by it yet. All of them were thankfully able to make it back to town where a strength in numbers kept the vulcan from trying to come into town. It's the mayor's biggest hope that I can put down this vulcan before it does manage to kidnap anybody.

Giving the mayor my word that I would take care of it, I set out to look in the woods for it. So, here I am, half a day later following it.

Opening my senses, I made sure to keep the sounds of the forest at the forefront of my mind as I followed the tracks and scent trail the vulcan left behind. They may be big creatures, but even they can move silently when they want to. To be honest with you, I'm surprised that this overgrown ape hasn't tried to come take a swipe at me yet, with me being female and all.

_This one must be smart, goes for females who appear weak._ I mused, as I kept going forward until the tracks suddenly stopped. Letting out a low curse, I thought about seeing if there were any clues as to which direction the vulcan went in the trees, but I stopped myself when I felt a set of eyes on me.

_Or it just changes tactics…_ I thought, as I acted none the wiser about the damn monkey watching me from the tree above where I currently stood. Making a show of sighing heavily like I was giving up, I turned and began heading in the direction town is in, ready and waiting for it to make it's move. Sure enough, the moment my back was turned, it lunged at me from the tree it had been in, making the poor thing wave back and forth from the force.

Unfortunately for its grand scheme, I was able to dodge the massive hand it was trying to grab me with. Using the vulcan's surprise at missing me to my advantage, I used its hand to launch myself up towards its face.

"ICE DRAGON TALON!" I shouted, as I unleashed my dragon slaying magic on it. Flipping away as it slapped at it's face to get rid of the cold burning sensation, I landed on my feet in the same spot as before. Only difference is that the vulcan won't be attacking me from behind this time.

"You know, I was beginning to wonder when you'd show your fugly mug." I told it, as the vulcan gave me an angry cry.

"WOMAN, WOMAN, WOMAN! KEEP WOMAN!" It chanted, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Geez, it's always the same thing with you vulcans. Doesn't matter if you're up in the mountains or here in the forest, all you want are women and guys to take over to grow stronger." I muttered more to myself than anything else.

Charging at me once more, the vulcan threw another punch to try and subdue me. Seeing it, I simply dodged out of its way again, punching the stupid vulcan in its face to make it stagger back. Landing in a crouch, I watched as it shook its head, blood pouring out of its nose as it growled in pain. Standing, I got ready for it to make another move.

Wiping at its face with its massive hand, the vulcan gave me a creepy, smug look that had shivers of revulsion going down my spine.

"WOMAN STRONG! KEEP WOMAN! MARRY WOMAN!" It said, as I growled right back at it, causing the vulcan to pause as a look of slight unease and confusion overcame it.

It had just made its fatal mistake when it mentioned _marrying me!_

"Hate to burst your bubble, you overgrown monkey." I said, baring my fangs menacingly at it. "But the only thing I'm going to be doing with you is mount your head on a wall in that town you've been terrorizing." I snarled, charging _at_ the vulcan this time, summoning my claws to my hands.

"ICE DRAGON – WING ATTACK!" I said, throwing punch after punch at its greenish brown body. I kept going as it kept being pushed back until finally, it tripped over its own huge feet. Not letting the opportunity to hit it while it can't dodge, I took a deep breath.

"ICE DRAGON ROAR!" I shouted, releasing my breath attack at it. A monkey like scream was all I could hear as my roar left my lungs. When the last of my breath was free from my body, and the mist from it dissipated, I stood before the living ice statue of the vulcan.

Walking up to the statue, I gave it one last snarl as I jumped up high enough to bring my ice claws down on its neck, severing its head. My job was to slay this it after all.

As the stench of its blood invaded my nose, I had to clench my jaw as I began to get dizzy from the sudden invasion of many other bloody scenes I've unfortunately been witness to.

_Come on Ice, you knew that there would be some blood involved. Killing it is what the job asked for!_ I scolded myself, as I took deep breaths.

"You're _not_ there anymore Icelynn. _I'm _not there anymore…" I whispered to myself, as I felt the dizzy spell beginning to pass.

"Okay, you can do this…" I told myself, as I stood back on my feet. Locking down my emotions, I looked back at the headless corpse of the vulcan. Not feeling dizzy as I had before, I walked up to the still spurting corpse and cast a freezing mist over it. Once the blood and everything that had just been exposed was frozen solid, I took a couple of steps back as I raised my hand at the giant block of ice.

"ICE DRAGON SPEAR!" I called, as I shot what was essentially a huge icicle at it, causing it to shatter into millions of pieces that evaporated before they could even touch the ground. When its body was destroyed, I turned to the head of the beast.

Using the foot of my boot, I rolled it over until the still bleeding underside was exposed. Holding my hand over it, I froze it solid as well. Once that was done, I took a deep breath, feeling a bit disappointed in myself.

Walking over, I picked up the frozen head by the horn on what used to be the vulcan's head and slung it over my shoulder before heading back towards Shirotsume. As I walked, I found myself deep with in my thoughts.

After I've spent all of this time coming back to myself, it seems that I still can't escape those horrific images and memories. Being a dragon slayer, its in my nature to be able to slay something as simple as a vulcan or any other threat including dragons. Yet, the human side of me is still haunted by all that happened with that bastard.

Yes, he used me for his experiments, but that's not the only thing that happened. Just before these experiments began, my captor wanted to see just what the abilities of a dragon slayer were. Once he took me, I had been refusing to cooperate, so he found a way to force me to.

He would invite all kinds of scum to his laboratory, but the ones I dealt with were either the people under his employ that he wanted to get rid of, or some kind of sick psycho from the street. He would lock them with me into this mini arena he had, all under the guise of a deal he would make with them. Which was that if they could beat me in a fight, then these guys both mages and non-mages alike, could do whatever the hell they wanted with me.

Whether it be to leave with no strings attached, or simply kill me, or to do any number of unspeakable things, it was always up to the one who would fight me.

Every single time I found myself in that room, I would fight and _kill_ to preserve myself as best I could. I had a few close calls in some of these fights, but I always found a way to beat my opponent. Strangulation, beheading, ripping out throats, breaking necks… All were things I did to these people to end their lives to save myself.

By the time I was pulled out, I was ready to give up. Yeah, if that guy who saved me had indeed been that bastard about to take me away, then I would have fought him, but I knew for a fact that I wouldn't make it back to that arena or laboratory. I would have killed myself before he could so much as cross the threshold of the cell I was in, and subject me to more torture or blood on my hands.

I had become so frightened of myself at the end of it all, which is why I tried to keep everyone at arms-length. For the first few weeks after I was free, I couldn't look at a person without knowing exactly how I would kill them to protect myself should they try to hurt me.

Lucy for instance… I can't tell you how many times I thought how fragile her neck looked. I wouldn't even have to break her neck to kill her. No, all I would have had to do is sink my fangs into her soft, pale flesh and rip it from her as if it were nothing but tissue paper.

At least, until that first day that Lucy tried to run away…

I was just starting to warm up to her when I heard her leave her room at the estate that night. Knowing that things would become chaotic around the estate should she be discovered missing, and the fact that I would be Jude's number one suspect, I got up from my bed and followed her out. Lucy, with me shadowing her, made it about half-way down the road to the train station when this bandit or whatever recognized her. He tried to take her hostage in order to get the _great Heartfilia family_ to give him ransom.

The creep didn't even get to lay a finger on her before I had him in the dirt, beating him to a bloody pulp. Just as I was about to let go and kill the bastard, I heard Lucy screaming and crying for her _big sister_ to stop. That she'd miss me terribly if I were to be taken away because of what I was about to do.

Hearing her calling me that is what gave me pause and saved that idiots life.

Jude, having heard the bandit's screams of pain under my fists had the servants summon the rune knights. They showed up, took the guy away from the Estate on a stretcher, and took Lucy and I back to an angry Jude. He gave us the fifth degree and sent us to our rooms. Which we were not to leave for the next week.

As we made our way to our rooms to serve our punishment, I asked Lucy if she really did consider me to be her big sister. When she told me that she really did mean it, I officially claimed her as my little sister, my kin. After that, Lucy helped me to reconnect with my humanity.

Without Lucy, I'd still be an animal; and without the boy who saved me from that hell, I'd have never met her.

_Speaking of that guy, I still can't help but wonder why Laxus' scent is the same as his. Could they have been related somehow? With his attitude, is it even possible that Laxus was even the one who saved me?_ I wondered, as I found myself breaking through the tree line on the South-West side of Shirotsume.

"Alright, time to complete the job." I muttered to myself, as I pushed all of those thoughts and memories to the back of my mind. It still bothered me of course, but I've spent years moping about it, and I've spent enough time today doing just that.

As I made my way to the mayor's house, I got quite a few looks. Once I showed the mayor the head, he abruptly gave me the reward and begged me to just get rid of the frightening thing. Blasting it to bits like I did the rest of its body, I took my reward and made my way to the other side of town to catch the next carriage out towards the railroad that would take me back to Magnolia.

A while later, I was on the train about to depart from Oshibana Station. As I waited for the train to pull out, I looked out of the window at the few repairs that are still being made. The rest of the damage we caused has been fixed at least.

While I was gazing out of the window, my eyes soon fell on a unique trio of two guys and one girl. What caught my attention the most about them was the green guild mark on the right side of the girl's chest.

They were Fairy Tail mages.

Realizing this, I figured that they must be members I hadn't met yet as I took a better stock of them.

The girl wore a strapless green dress and gloves, wore glasses, had long brown hair that she had up in a side ponytail. Kind of like Lucy's, but with all of her hair up instead of just a small bunch of it. In one hand, she carried a red fan. She was also standing on one side of the group with a haughty, proper air to her.

On the opposite was a guy dressed like a knight, although with the way he was smirking, he had to be of the peculiar sort. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you. I couldn't see his face for the hood and visor he wore. All around him floated these wooden dolls that had been taken apart from a totem pole.

Between these two stood a guy in a long red dress coat, he had long green hair, and carried what looked like a fencing sword on his left hip. On the back of his right hand was a similar green Fairy Tail mark like the girls.

From the looks of it, he was discussing something with the other two. As the knight looking guy spoke, I caught a flash of a black guild emblem on his tongue of all places.

As they disappeared from my sight, I couldn't help but wonder what sort of job they must be coming back from. Not that it was any of my business anyway. Although, seeing as they decided to take the booth across the aisle from me, it looks like my curiosity just might be abated.

"So Freed, where are we going to next? Did our fearless leader happen to say when you spoke to him last night?" the girl asked the green haired guy who sat next to the knight across from her, giving his face a name.

"He wanted us to meet him outside the guild hall. Apparently, he picked up a new job while he was at the guild." This Freed answered her, as the knight turned to look at him.

"Didn't he say something about seeing what these two newbies that joined up were like? That Icelynn chick and Lucy girl?" he asked, as I perked up a bit at this turn of conversation.

_Wait, so their teammate showed up at the guild hall to see about me and Lucy joining up with the guild? Just who are they talking about?_ I wondered to myself, as I kept discretely, very impolitely, eavesdropping.

"Oh, don't you listen to anything Bixlow? Laxus told us that when he left town a few days ago." The girl snapped, painting the knights name, and nearly making me jump out of my skin at the name that the girl just mentioned. I manage to keep my composure.

_So, looks like Laxus isn't as much of a loner as I perceived him to be. Who would have thought he could turn off the jerk long enough to have a team? _I thought to myself, feeling a bit impressed after the spectacle he created at the guild the other day. _All sarcasm aside, they sound pretty loyal to him. Almost like… Lucy and I…_ _If he can form those kinds of bonds, then maybe Laxus is just rough around the edges due to some things that are completely none of my business… I'll just have to keep an open mind considering him, I guess. With all of us being in the same guild and him being an S-Class wizard…_ I thought to myself as the girl spoke again.

"Anyway, I've heard some odd rumor's lately back from home." The girl continued, as she opened her fan and began fanning herself.

"What sort of rumor's Evergreen." Freed said, finally naming the girl.

"Well, apparently one of them talked back to Laxus. Icelynn, I believe it was." She said, a look of annoyance on her face. "Who does she think she is, thinking she can speak to him like that?" she huffed, as Freed nodded his head once.

"Agreed." He said, as he turned to look out the window. "Although, this is the least of the guild's problems right now." Freed said, as both Evergreen and Bixlow gave him curious looks.

"What sort of problems are we talking about here?" Bixlow asked, as Freed turned to look back at his team.

"Apparently, a couple of guild members thought it would be a good idea to steal an S-Class quest from the second floor." He answered, as Bixlow and Evergreen both wore matching looks of shock.

I too, felt my face morph into shock, but I made sure to keep looking out of the window. After what Mirajane told Lucy and I the other day, regular members could get into a lot of trouble from going up to the second floor without being invited. For one to take an S-Class job like that, that could be grounds for anything from being suspended from taking jobs to being expelled from the guild. I just don't understand who would be stupid enough to steal a job of that caliber.

_Well, Gramps did tell Natsu that he wasn't allowed on the second floor yet, maybe he took that as a challenge? Still, even if it really was Natsu who stole it, I highly doubt he would have been able to convince Lucy to go with him. She heard what Mira said about the danger involved. _I thought to myself, and yet, I find that I have a bad feeling. Like I did that night Lucy snuck out to that party in Hargeon.

Usually Master and Mira prefer it if we check into the guild first when we come back from a job, but this time, I think I'd better go home first and see if Lucy's travel case is there. If it is, then I'm worried for nothing.

If it isn't, I'll have to go to the guild as fast as I can to see if anyone knows where she went.

Pulling myself from my thoughts as the train announced its departure, I tuned in my ear to my unknowing guildmates to find that they've lapsed into silence. Letting out a heavy sigh, I reached into my bag to pull out my book on dragon slayers and cracked it open. After about an hour of trying to read and being unable to concentrate, I put the book away and did my best to meditate instead of worry.

Before I know it, they announce our arrival to Magnolia. I barely gave the train time to stop before I grab my bag and rush outside. I heard Laxus' team inquire amongst themselves as to why I was in such a rush, but I ignored them. When the apartment Lucy and I shared came into view, I hurried inside and barely managed to remember to use my key instead of kicking the door down in my haste.

Once I got it open, I dropped my bag by the door and flipped on the light. I then went to head over to the closet Lucy, and I share to check for her suitcase, however, I soon found that I wouldn't have to go that far.

Not when the stolen S-Class quest is laying innocently on the floor in the middle of the room.

"For fucks sake, Lucy…" I growled to myself, going over and picking it up. I take one good look at it to see where they went.

"Looks like my sister and a soon to be dead salamander have gone on a cursed island get away to Galuna Island. Damn it, sis…" I cursed, letting out a heavy sigh.

After a few moments, I fold the job request up and put it into my pocket. Grabbing my still packed bag from the floor, I cut the lights and locked the apartment back up. Once that was done, I headed for the guild.

I'm not a snitch by any means, but there's no way in hell I'm letting my ass get into the same trouble she's in. Plus, with this being an S-Class job she's on, a potentially _dangerous_ job, I'm not going after her without back up.

I just hope I don't make Makarov's anger worse by demanding to go with whomever he sends after them. If its not already been decided and done anyway.

_Lucy Ashley Heartfilia, you had better keep your ass alive until I get there_. I thought to myself as I began running towards the guild hall as fast as I could.

~X~

Next Chapter: Chapter 8 – Emperors and Demons


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Emperors and Demons

~X~ Icelynn ~X~

The towns people of Magnolia all dived out of my way as I kept pushing myself. Reaching the usual staircase that takes Lucy and I right up to the guild, I took the steps two and three at a time. By the time I got to the top, I angrily marched the rest of the way so I wouldn't be out of breath and unable to speak when I got there.

Passing by a café, I noticed the three from the train again, waiting for Laxus as I had overheard them say before everyone got off. I don't know how they got around me seeing as I left the train first, but I was in too much of a hurry to really give a shit right now. Ignoring them in favor of hopefully getting my sister back before being expelled from the guild becomes the least of her problems, I kept on going. If they noticed me, they didn't show or speak of it amongst themselves.

Upon reaching the guild hall doors, I paused as I heard Makarov raising his voice.

"DAMN IT LAXUS! IF YOU SAW AN S-CLASS QUEST BEING STOLEN, YOU SHOULD HAVE INTERVENED! NOW THAT YOU HAVEN'T NATSU, LUCY, AND HAPPY ARE IN GRAVE DANGER. AS IS GRAY, SEEING AS HE JOINED THEM INSTEAD OF BRINGING THEM BACK! AND IF ICELYNN IS WITH THEM LIKE YOU ACUSE HER OF BEING, THEN THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE TWO DRAGON SLAYERS TO BE BROUGHT HOME BY FORCE. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE _HERE_ WHO IS STRONG ENOUGH TO BRING THEM BACK BEFORE THEY GET THEMSELVES KILLED!" I heard him yell, as I sighed heavily.

_Well, I can't exactly blame my accuser of pitching me in with Lucy and Natsu's shenanigans. We are sisters and close after all. Still, I'd better get in there and get the record set straight, and let Makarov know that I'm not going to just sit behind and wait for someone else to go and save my sister. If Laxus won't go like he's being ordered to, I'll go and track Erza down myself if I have to._ I thought, as I pushed the doors open.

"Don't worry, you've only got _one _rogue dragon slayer to worry about." I called out, loud enough for everyone to notice me.

As I did, the entire guild hall fell silent, as Makarov stopped his shouting to look at me as well. At seeing me, he and everyone else in the room held looks of shock. Ignoring everyone else around me, including the gaze of Laxus on the second floor, I walked over to Makarov.

"Icelynn!?" he said, as his worry turned into a serious look. "Did you know about any of this?" he asked me, as I shook my head no.

"No. Not until just a little bit ago anyway. I went by my and Lucy's apartment to drop my things off, but I'd barely got in the door before I noticed _this _on the floor." I said, as I pulled out the _stolen_ S-Class job request and held it out to him. "

Makarov barely had it in his hands before we heard a sarcastic chuckle coming from upstairs.

"Aw, how precious…" Laxus said, as we all turned our attention up there towards him. "Looks like someone's a back talker _and_ a snitch." He said, as I narrowed my sharpened gaze at him. It took all of my will power to keep from baring my fangs and snarling at him.

"Oh, not at all…" I said, unable to keep the growl out of my voice. "I just came to bring it back to the guild where it belongs, and to see if there was anyone qualified who is willing to help me bring my sister back before something happens to her… And don't worry _Laxus_, I wasn't planning on asking _you_." I said, saying his name with a sneer.

Laxus cast yet another impressed, albeit annoyed glare my way as he scoffed at my words.

"Oh yeah? Like the old man is going to let anyone other than an S-Class mage go get them after Fullbuster failed at bringing Natsu back. You're just another weakling trying to bite off more than you can chew." He said, as I didn't even bother to stop the snarl this time.

When it slipped out, I also felt a small measure of my magic release from my body, making the air in my immediate vicinity turn frigid. As it did, the strangest thing happened. It was so quick that I almost thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me. Had they not sharpened with my senses, then I would have missed the slight look of shock and recognition flitter quickly across Laxus' face before he could fully make his expression neutral.

Whatever retort that had been on my tongue died out as uncertainty once again filled me.

"Fuck this shit…" I heard Laxus mutter a second later as he stood to his feet and moved towards the stairs leading down here to the first floor. Passing behind the bar, he moved towards where Makarov and I stood. As he did so, I couldn't help but notice that I was right about him being six foot and over now that we stood on the same floor. I'm five foot nine, and if I were to stand next to him, my head would come up to about his chin.

_The perfect height to sink my fangs into his neck._ I thought absentmindedly, as I found my eyes trailing down the bare skin of his neck, all the way down to the base of his throat. Which also remained bare due to the first few buttons of his shirt being left undone.

Realizing what I was doing, I snapped my eyes back up towards his face as I forced my dragon instincts to dominate the one challenging me back where they belonged. Luckily, Laxus was none the wiser seeing as he was more focused on the door beyond Makarov and me.

"Like you've always said old man, anyone in Fairy Tail is supposed to be able to take care of themselves." He said, as he began making his way towards the doors once more. "I've got better things to do than chase after a couple of losers who are probably going to wind up dead before anybody can find them." He said as the door slammed shut behind him.

Turning away from the door Laxus had just left through, I tried not to let the despair his words had ignited get to me. However, I couldn't seem to do the same thing for the strange feeling that odd expression gave me. The one that only lasted a split second.

Inside, I could feel the curiosity brewing within me. From the defensive words and loyal attitudes that I saw on his teammates faces back on the train, I know that he might not be as bad as he seems. Yet, this is the second time within a week that I've been subjected to his dickish attitude. Just what happened to make Laxus the way that he is now? Not to mention the odd way he seems to react to me.

Sure, I stood up to him like Natsu, although it wasn't with my fists, but Laxus easily lured Natsu into being beaten down. Not to mention what Gray had said the other day when Natsu then tried to challenge Laxus after being beaten by Erza. Gray's words made it clear that Laxus is able to kick Natsu's ass should he feel like it.

I can't help but wonder why.

Do I resemble someone he's made an enemy of from another guild? Or do I remind him of a past ex-girlfriend or lover that he came to despise? Maybe a friend who betrayed him? Whatever the answer to these questions are, only Laxus would know.

Even if this is the case or me just being paranoid, I won't be giving in to Laxus. Don't get me wrong, Laxus is handsome and built in a way most guys can only dream of. Not to mention he's got that bad boy sex appeal I've always had a small thing for, but I still won't surrender to him.

Hearing a sigh before me, I pulled myself from these thoughts as I faced the worried yet apologetic look on Makarov's face.

"Please don't mind him Icelynn." He said, as I looked back down at him. "I don't know what's gotten into that boy, but he is right about one thing. I fear that I cannot allow you to go off on your own. If Erza were here, and she was willing to let you go with her, then I would allow it. However, we have no idea when she'll be back from the latest job she's taken for the guild." He apologized, as I crossed my arms.

"Not even if I were to swear to go and track Erza down first?" I asked him then, as he looked up at me with stern eyes. Seeing them, I let out a heavy sigh. "Master, I respect how Fairy Tail works, I honestly do, but I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing. Especially seeing as not only my sister's life is in danger, but that of a comrade. But I'm not so stupid as to think I can do this on my own. If I have to take the same punishment as Natsu and Lucy when I get back, then so be it." I said, as Makarov simply kept his intense gaze on me.

The longer he went without answering me, the more I figured that I'd have to do things the hard way. I meant what I said, if I have to face a punishment for going, then I'll just have to take whatever it is he decides to do with us.

After a few more moments, Makarov sighed as he turned to look back at the bar where Mira was standing.

"Mira, bring the extra communication lacrima." He ordered, as my eyes widened in surprise. As Mira went upstairs to retrieve the lacrima, Makarov turned his stern gaze back towards me as he held the S-Class request back out to me. "Icelynn, I want you to take this with you, and give it directly to Erza the moment you see her. As for Erza, she should be due to pass through Hargeon in just a few hours. If you leave soon as Mira gets back, then you should be able to get there by train before she leaves on her way back here. If she isn't there, then wait for her, she shouldn't be long. When you've gone, I will go contact Erza and fill her in on the situation and tell her that you're coming. Once you find Erza, you are to contact the guild immediately to let us know. If she can't make it to you by sunset, then you are to check in with me. Tonight, and every night until you reach Erza. Will you be able to do that?" he asked me then, as I nodded my head once.

"Yes, sir." I said, as Mira came back down the stairs with the communication lacrima.

Mira handed it to Master Makarov, who then turned and held it out to me. I reached out to take it, but Makarov moved his hand back a bit before I could touch it. Looking up at him quizzically, I waited for him to speak. Apparently, he wants it to be clear how important this next part is.

"And Icelynn, I'm placing my full faith and trust in you to bring them back. If you don't follow my conditions to the letter, your punishment will be much harsher than what Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Gray will face. Am I understood young lady?" he asked me, as I nodded my head once again.

"Loud and clear, Master." I said without hesitation. Giving me a nod, Makarov handed me both the communication lacrima and the request.

"Then go and watch yourself child. Even with Erza along, and though you're not going on the job, you still need to watch your every step. For the very reason that job was made an S-Class ranked quest, is still there on that island." He warned me, as I nodded.

"I will…" I said, as I readjusted my bag, which still hung on my shoulder. Turning, I headed for the door myself. Placing a hand on its surface, I bowed my head a bit. "Thank you…" I all but whispered as I pulled the door open and exited the guild.

~X~ Laxus ~X~

Leaning back against the wall I stood against, I kept my senses trained on what was being said inside. When I heard Gramps send Mira after a communications lacrima, I couldn't believe my ears.

_So, the old man's putting his faith in her after all._ I thought to myself, as I thought back to that moment her magic aura began dancing around her. Those hard, ice blue eyes glaring at me, and those fangs protruding from her lips. The very expression on her face had put me right back to the night everything changed for me. Not to mention the odd scent emanating from her.

The scent of fresh fallen snow…

No one else in the guild knows this, but I'm also a dragon slayer. Although, it isn't by birth or choice.

The magic powers of a slayer was forced on me by my dad, Ivan Dryer, when he implanted a dragon lacrima into my body. A lacrima that he had spent two years forming from the stolen magic he was draining out of this young girl. He never told me her name, or where she came from. Only that her dragon slaying magic was going to be what saved me from the weak and frail body I had been born with.

The pain from the lacrima being implanted into my body caused me to black out about half-way through the process. When I eventually woke up, I thankfully found myself on my own. My mind was hazy from the lacrima bonding to my body, but I was still able to stumble my way out of my Dad's lab. I'd even managed to find the cell that the girl he had been torturing was in and got it open.

With the bad way the girl was in, it was difficult, but we were eventually able to find our way out of that place. We'd barely made it outside before the two of us collapsed from our own separate ordeals. When I came to, I was in the hospital, and the girl was no where to be seen. Only my grandfather was there waiting for me to wake up. I had tried to ask Gramps about her, but he would just go quiet and give me this pitying look. By the time I was allowed to return home, I knew that he was giving me such a look and avoiding my questions because she hadn't made it.

Her dying was the only explanation that made sense.

It also made me realize that while my Dad was wrong in doing what he did, he was right about one thing. I was a weakling.

Had I been stronger, then I would have found a way to wake up sooner and get that girl out of that hell hole before she was beyond saving. However, seeing as this wasn't the case, that girl is now dead because of me. A fact that was further proven when I was finally old enough to join Fairy Tail as a mage once my magic powers stabilized.

By the simple fact that it didn't matter what sort of job I did, or how damn well I did it, that such results were _expected _because I was Laxus Dryer, the only grandson of Makarov Dryer, the Master of Fairy Tail. Yes, the lacrima made me stronger, but I was still far too weak to be seen under my own light, and not the shadow of my grandfather.

If anything, this only widened the gap that'd grown between the two of us when he expelled my Dad from the guild.

_Fucking hell, I don't have time to be standing around remembering this shit_. I scolded myself once again, as I let out a quiet, annoyed snarl. That Icelynn chick is definitely hot, but once again she's causing me nothing but trouble. Hearing Mira coming back down the stairs, I pushed myself from the wall and began making my way to the café my team was currently waiting at for me.

As I made my way back through the streets of Magnolia to meet up with them, I tried my best to push all of my thoughts on this chick out of my head. Whether or not this woman reminds me of that girl from back then, if I want to make Fairy Tail strong enough to stand against that guild my dad's been forming over the last few years since being expelled, I'll need to focus to finish making the plans and preparations. By the time I'm done, and my plan is a success, I'll be the master of a new and improved Fairy Tail. A strong guild where all the weaklings have been weeded out.

Only then would Raven Tail and any other guild who wishes to do Fairy Tail harm, wouldn't stand a chance in hell.

~X~ Icelynn ~X~

Watching as Erza read over the S-Class quest Happy had stolen for my sister and Natsu, I turned to look back at the lacrima that was currently lit up with my magic, showing Makarov's face as he too waited for her to finish reading it.

By the time she lowered the flier, her expression was just as grave as my own and our master's.

"To be honest with you Master, I have no idea what these fools were thinking, stealing a request of this level without clearance." Erza said, as she turned to look at the open lacrima. "However, I will do my best to ensure that they are brought home to face whatever punishment you deem necessary for such an offense." She said, as Makarov nodded his head once at her.

"_Oh, I know you will Erza. Although, due to the nature of this request, I must ask you this one more time. Are you sure that you don't mind Icelynn tagging along?"_ He asked her, as Erza shook her head.

"Not at all." She said, before glancing at me. "If anything, her dragon slayer abilities would go a long way in helping me to track down Natsu and the rest. And besides, I highly doubt that Icelynn would have stayed behind. Instead of following our rogue guildmates footsteps, she chose to do things the right way. If anything, it should help to set an example for the four fools, and the rest of the guild for that matter." Erza answered, as I let out a snort.

"Damn right, I would have. The only reason Master Makarov even let me leave the guild was on the condition I contact him immediately after finding you." I stated, as I glanced between her and the lacrima.

"Ah, I see. Although, I must say that I'm surprised Master. I would have thought for sure that you would have tried to recruit Laxus to go with Icelynn. He was still at the guild when I left if I recall correctly." Erza stated, as I felt a low growl rise in my throat at the very mention of that bastard. Hearing me, Erza lifted a delicate eyebrow my way.

Shrugging it off, we both turned our attention back to the lacrima.

"_Believe me, I ordered him to, but that dunderhead just tried to stir up more trouble like usual. Either way, all that matters is that Icelynn has found you, and the two of you can now find a way to get to Galuna Island and put an end to this issue. I want, Gray, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy brought back in one piece, by force if you must."_ Makarov ordered us, as Erza and I both gave him a nod. "_Icelynn, I want you to follow Erza's lead in this. With the job they stole being of an S-Class rank, this is a S-Class situation, of which only Erza is qualified to deal with. If you pull the same stunt as Gray, like I said before you left, your punishment will be worse._" He reminded me, as I nodded my head once.

"I still read you crystal clear Master." I answered him, as he nodded his head in return.

"_With that being said, I also want you both to be careful. Come back in one piece yourselves._" He told us, as his face begun to fade out of the lacrima.

When Makarov was gone, I cut my own magic.

"Alright, Icelynn, do you have any idea how long they've been gone on this mission?" Erza asked me then, as I put the lacrima in my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think they've got at least a day or less on us. I'd just gotten back from a job in Oshibana when I discovered that S-Class request on the floor of the apartment Lucy and I share." I answered her, as Erza picked up the rope of her little cart full of whatever shit she carries.

"If that is indeed the case, then they must have already arrived at the island and spoke with the clients who posted it. It's not good, but it'll at least give us a trail to follow." Erza said, as she turned to look out at the docks. "All we need to get going is to find a ship or boat to take us there."

"I'm not too bright on the idea of being on a ship, but if it's what I've got to do…" I said, brushing off the uneasiness I felt just thinking about being on the water. "The only problem is finding someone who'll take us to the island. With it being cursed and all, I highly doubt any of the fishing boats would be willing to ferry us over."

Humming in agreement, Erza put one of her steel gloved fingers to her chin in thought.

"Yes, that is an issue." She said, then turned to give me a questioning look. "Hold on, do you get motion sick like Natsu?" she asked me then, as I gave the boats sitting at the docks a wary look.

"Only on boats. I can ignore it for a bit if push comes to shove though. As for other modes of transportation, they don't seem to bother me as much." I answered her, as Erza gave me a look of understanding.

"I see…" she said, as she looked up towards the sky. Doing so myself, I could see that it was being lit up by the many colors that accompany the setting of the sun. "Let's get down there and start asking about. By the looks of it, by the time we set sail, it'll be dark."

I nodded towards her to show my compliance, however, before she could so much as take a single step to head down there, this pirate ship comes barreling into port. The crew firing their guns and such into the air to announce their arrival and to send people into a frenzy.

"Well, looks like we just found our ride." I muttered out loud, my eyes wide in surprise that our luck would start out this good.

"Yes, and all we have to do is teach these ingrates a lesson." Erza said, as she dropped the leading rope to her cart and summoned a sword. Dropping my own bag to sit next to it, I brought out my ice talons.

It took Erza and I no time to get the pirates under control. All we had to do was knock half of them unconscious, and Erza to plant her fist into the captain and a few other of his crew members heads before we were on their ship and on our way to Galuna Island.

_AN HOUR LATER…_

_I swear, if I have to get on another fucking boat to save my sister, I'm going to tie her up and lock her away somewhere no one will ever find her…_ I silently swore to myself, as I put my forehead against the mast of the pirate ship Erza, and I had commandeered.

Towards the rear of the deck, at the helm stood the captain of this pirate ship, Erza looming behind him with that grave look she's had since we met up at Hargeon. Every once in a while, she'd glance over to check on me, but wouldn't say anything. Instead, preferring to keep this tub sailing as fast as it could go so that we can get off sooner rather than later.

After spending a little more time muttering curses under my breath, I eventually hear the pirate captain turn around to address Erza.

"Are you two ladies sure you want to go to Galuna Island?" he asked, his voice shaking from the fear and nervousness he felt.

"We are. Now just keep quiet and steer." Erza answered him, crossing her arms over her armored chest.

"Look, you can keep my darn ship if you'd just drop us off somewhere. I'm begging you lady, please don't make us go to that cursed island. They say that anyone who sets foot on Galuna is turned into a demon!" he fussed, as he then turned his attention out towards me. "What about you miss!? The curse is already trying to get ahold on you! Why give it the chance of completing the transformation!" he called down at me, only to receive a glare in his direction. Thankfully, he turned back to Erza to escape the scary look he was getting.

I'd been dealing with this bullshit from the pirates ever since Erza told them where it was that they were taking us. Soon as she uttered Galuna Island, they suspected me of being a victim to the curse rumored to be plaguing the island.

"Whatever the risks, Icelynn and I have both agreed to take that chance." Erza told him, as the captain turned a bit pale at finding that we won't be swayed from what he must see as our fool's errand.

"But, why must you go there?" he eventually asked, as Erza's grave expression began to show hints of determination.

"Those who break the rules and are guilty, must be punished without fail. That's all I can say on the matter." Erza simply told him, as the captain and a few of the other pirates lying about the deck began to look at Erza with awe.

Getting up, they all ran back to where Erza stood, and began shouting things like _she's so cool_ and, _she's so hot too_. Just hearing them say such things while being on a boat just brought back very un-fond memories of a certain fake Salamander who tried to kidnap my sister to Bosco.

That being said, when I heard someone say that they don't like rule breakers either, I couldn't resist stumbling my way up to where they were.

"_Don't like rule breakers, _huh?" I asked them, as they nodded their heads. "Well then, how's this for a rule: Keep your asses at your stations so the ship can sail at max speed. Break that, and I'll turn you into an iceberg and drop your asses overboard." I snarled at them, baring my fangs as their flushed looks were replaced with pale ones.

"_AYE, AYE MA'AM!_" They all screamed as they turned and scrambled back to their proper places.

As they retreated, Erza turned to give me an appreciative look.

"Thank you, Icelynn. I thought that I was going to have to put them back in their places again." She thanked me, as I stumbled over to the edge of the boat. Watching me, Erza's look became that of concern. "Are you going to be alright over there?" she asked me a moment later.

"Soon as I get off this damn thing." I told her, as I put both of my hands up on the railing around the ship to keep myself steady should I need to lean over and start heaving. "You know, I might just see if Master Makarov will mind if I lock Lucy up in the guild's dungeon for a few days. Maybe then she'll learn to keep the BS I need to save her from strictly to the mainland."

"Well, you're not the only one thinking that way." Erza admitted, as she continued to watch where the ship was going.

Trying my best to ignore the rolling of my stomach, I pushed myself back to my full height as I turned troubled eyes towards my guild mate.

"Erza…" I called to get her attention. "I know that my sister and the others were wrong to take the S-Class request, but would Master Makarov really expel them over this?" I asked her once she looked my way.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Erza walked over to where I stood to place a hand on my shoulder.

"Personally, I think that if Fairy Tail had any other Master, then they would be." She answered me. "Luckily for them, we have Master Makarov. To him, although stealing the job was a dangerous and stupid thing to do, they didn't take it with the intention of purposely hurting anyone. Just to show off, despite the chances they could get themselves seriously hurt or worse." Erza finished, as she removed her hand.

"Has he ever had to expel anyone?" I asked her then, as her jaw clenched.

"As long as he's been in charge, there's probably been a few, although I can only recall one occasion. Unfortunately, the entire guild has been forbidden from speaking of this former member and the circumstances of which he was expelled." She answered me, as I nodded my head once.

I shouldn't be too surprised at this. After all, Fairy Tail has been around a long time, and like with everything else that's been around for that long is bound to have a few skeletons in the closet.

"Speaking of classified guild information, Makarov also asked me to tell you why the job of lifting the curse of Galuna Island was made an S-Class." Erza announced then, as I turned my attention back to her.

"I did wonder about that. There's all sorts of regular jobs that ask for the lifting of curses." I told her, as Erza nodded her head.

"You aren't wrong about that. However, things are a bit different in this situation." Erza explained. "Normally, curses like this aren't seen as dangerous as an S-Class request, but also much harder than the other jobs posted on the first floor of the guild. So, when Master has Mira post them, they ensure that a notice is attached to the flier. A notice that alerts whatever wizard or team that they need to either find a mage who excels at the nature of curses; or to seek the help of an available S-Class wizard. As for Galuna Island, it's not the curse that makes this job an S-Class rank; it's what's _located_ there that makes it so." She said, as I turned a queasy, confused look her way.

"_Located there_?" I echoed, as the uneasy feeling in my gut began to grow, and not because of my sea sickness. "Wait, are you saying that there's something on that island?" I asked her then, as Erza nodded her head yes.

"Yes… I know that you've heard people around Hargeon mention the rumors about Galuna Island being infested with demons. I don't know about the inhabitants of the Island, but there is at least _one_ demon on Galuna." Erza said, as I felt my eyes widen in shock.

"A demon?" I echoed once more, as Erza nodded her head once again.

"Yes, but not just any sort of demon." She answered, turning her head to face where we were going once more. "A stronger demon than that of which we faced together in Clover."

At hearing her say this, I felt my jaw drop open.

"Wait, are you saying that the demon on Galuna Island is from the Book of Zeref?" I asked her, as I felt my heart beginning to speed up a bit in worry.

"I'm afraid so… Only, we aren't dealing with something as simple as Lullaby this time. This time, the demon that may be involved is called Deliora." Erza said, as I tilted my head to the side.

"Deliora…" I repeated, only to pause when I realize how she said that last part. "Hold on, what do you mean by _may be involved_?" I asked.

"Unlike what most people believe, Deliora wasn't defeated at the last town it totally and utterly destroyed. Instead, it was sealed away. However, before the Magic Counsel could deploy the Rune Knights to collect it, Deliora disappeared. Over time, they came to believe that someone had somehow moved Deliora to Galuna Island. Seeing as it remained slumbering away in its confinement, hidden away from the world, the magic counsel decided to leave it be." Erza said, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "So, due to Deliora's presence, Era decreed that their request should be posted as nothing less than an S-Class rank. They did this because they feared that when someone went to lift the curse, that it would awaken the demon."

"And depending on how much magical energy was used to break the curse, the wizard could become drained to the point of being unable to fight. Leaving them at Deliora's mercy along with the people they were trying to help." I finished for her, as Erza nodded her head once.

"Precisely…" she agreed. "Let's just pray that we reach our comrades before it's too late."

_~X~ Lucy ~X~_

As Aquarius' wave finally rolled off of me and back into the sea, I seriously began to wonder what I was thinking in coming along with Natsu and Happy on this job. Seriously, I never thought I'd see the day I would have to summon Aquarius and get her to wash me away on _purpose_! Still, I guess I was lucky that this marionette mage girl chased me all the way to the beach.

_Alright Lucy! With these messed up situations aside, you've still got a fight to finish! So, off your butt!_ I mentally yelled at myself, as I pushed my body up from the sand.

I could feel myself wobble all over the place, and I couldn't quite get my feet to be steady, but I was up and ready for whatever else this girl might try to pull.

"I hate that you tricked me with not only that little dog spirit of yours, but that temperamental mermaid. In the end, it didn't matter anyway, seeing as your spirit still wasn't able to destroy my rock doll!" the Love Marionette girl shouted, as she got to her feet as well, wobbling all over the place just as badly as I was.

"So, what!? That stupid puppet of yours can't do anything if you're not close to it! I knew that, which is why I had to get you away from it! Now you're too dizzy to walk a straight line!" I yelled back at her, as we suddenly stumbled into each other.

Giving this girl my best impression of one of my big sister's growls, we began blindly smacking around at each other and pulling each other's hair in true _cat-fight _fashion.

"_THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR MESSING WITH A MEMBER OF FAIRY TAIL!" _ I shouted again.

"_HOW IN THE HELL DID WE END UP IN A STALEMATE!_" The other girl shouted back, as we kept trying to pummel each other.

"_NO, WE AREN'T! I'M THE WINNER HERE!" _I declared.

"_YOU CAN'T JUST DECLARE YOURSELF THE WINNER IN A FIGHT! NOT WHEN I DID IT! I WON!_" she protested, as I shook my head to try and get rid of the rest of the dizziness brought on by the tidal wave Aquarius had made earlier.

Unlike this marionette mage who is so obsessed with love, I've been swept away by Aquarius so many times that it doesn't take me as long to get back to my senses. As I do, I hold out my arm and run towards the girl that I've been trying to deal with for the last little while now. Luckily for me, she's still trying to get back to being steady, and isn't able to dodge my arm as it goes right across her face.

As she falls to the sand, I hear her say something about her _love for the cold emperor always burning eternally_ or something of the sort.

"Oh please, you're not going to die. So, don't be so dramatic, 'kay?" I tell her, as I give her a wink.

"Angelica…" the girl said, on the verge of passing out. "Avenge your master's death…" I heard her say, as she clearly didn't hear what I said about not being so dramatic.

Hearing a squeaky battle cry coming from the cliff behind me, I turn around just in time to see her giant pet rat, which I originally thought was one of her puppets, lunge at me. Letting out a startled yelp, I turned to try and get out of the rat's way. However, with all of the running and falling I've been doing and drain on my magic, I end up falling to my knees unable to get back up again.

With no place to run, all I could do was watch and prepare to be crushed by the rat descending upon me.

I squeaked in fear as I got ready to close my eyes.

However, before Angelica the rat could touch me, she was intercepted by two familiar people.

"Ice Dragon Wing Attack!" I heard the familiar voice of my sister say, as she threw her dragon slaying magic up into the rat's side, sending her flying towards the ready and waiting scarlet haired knight, who sliced the rat across the chest, batting her away as she did so.

By the time Angelica hit the ground, Erza and Icelynn both had already landed on their feet.

In seeing them, I felt so much happiness and relief filling me, that I was able to get back up on my feet. Feeling a huge smile cross my face, I began to run over towards them.

"Icelynn! Erza!" I called at them, waving as I ran. "I'm so happy to see…" I began as they finally turned to face me. However, the cold and angry look they threw my way, I felt my happiness shrivel up and die just as quickly as it sprang forth. "_you…_" I finished lamely, as I began to get really scared.

That's when I remembered…

Erza isn't going to be happy to see any of us because we broke guild rules and stole an S-Class job. Erza, whom even Gray and Natsu both are terrified of making angry. Then there was Icelynn, who could be just as equally terrifying as Erza was when angry. No doubt that coming home and finding me gone, then hearing about the stunt we pulled from the guild would have made her worry. Not to mention her whole hatred of having to go on board any kind of boat or ship. Trust me, she has a strict policy of you had better be hurt or dying before she'll get on one. Heaven help you if she does, and that's not the case.

And seeing as Galuna Island is, well an island, and Icelynn's eyes are that light shade they turn to when she's upset; then let's just say that the math looks rather horrific from my perspective…

_We're so screwed…_ I thought to myself, as I felt the blood draining from my face.

_~X~ Icelynn ~X~_

Watching as Lucy went pale, I felt an odd sense of satisfaction in seeing that she actually is capable of realizing how much shit she's in. Still, even seeing this, I can't help but feel rather sore about my trip to this fucking island. Erza and I had barely been able to get our feet on dry land before I was bent over a bush and puking up my guts.

I was not _a happy camper_. However, in seeing that she isn't physically hurt, I felt my eyes go back to normal with the relief I felt in that.

"Lucy, I assume that you know why Icelynn and I are here." Erza stated then, her harsh, angry look from before back on her face as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"To… T-take us b-back…" Lucy stuttered, as she put on her best pleading look. "Promise that you won't hurt me…" she begged us in her best small and cutesy voice, as I gave her a warning growl.

"Oh, that puppy eyed look isn't going to save you this time Lucy." I told her, as she turned her worried eyes my way. All she could do against that was let out a nervous little laugh.

Catching the familiar scent of a certain blue cat, I turned to glance over my shoulder to see Happy approaching. With his focus being solely on my sister, he's yet to notice that Erza and I are standing by her.

"There you are Lucy! I was beginning to get worried!" he called, as he drew closer.

If they weren't in so much trouble, then I would have found it rather funny that he didn't see the two of us until he was overhead. The moment he did though, he quickly turned tail and tried to run. Sadly, he was only able to fly away for a mere second before I snatched his tail out of the air.

Making sure to hold it firmly, but not so tight as to physically hurt the little guy, I waited until the rest of him was forced to snap back to where his tail had been stopped. Making sure he wouldn't hit his head, I watched as he fell to dangle upside down in my grasp. Knowing that this was the end of things for him, he just stayed there without a fight.

"Alright, now that we have Happy, where are Natsu and Gray?" Erza asked my sister then, as I gave her a look to silently tell her that it would be in her best interest to answer honestly.

Sighing heavily, Lucy looked down for a second.

"Look, I'm really sorry that we took this job without permission, but there's been a lot of bad things going on here on this island." She said, as she looked back up at us. "There's this guy using this spell to revive a frozen demon! And this spell is causing the island's villagers to turn into monsters! It's making them suffer!" Lucy pleaded with us.

However, Erza would not be swayed.

"That's none of my concern." She stated, as Lucy gave her a desperate look.

"Please Erza, let us finish this job!" she begged us, turning to look at me after a few moments. "Please Icelynn, we can't leave things the way that they are now! Isn't there something you can do to convince her?" she asked me, as I sighed heavily.

However, before I could answer, Erza had leveled her sword at my sister's throat.

"It's obvious that while you do realize why Icelynn and I have come here to this island, but you also fail to see the gravity of just how much trouble you, Happy, and the other two are in." Erza said, her angry gaze and sword held steady. "You four have betrayed Master Makarov with your actions. Your punishment will be severe." She warned her, as Lucy began looking like she was about to pass out.

Sighing heavily once more, I slowly walked forward until I could reach up and push Erza's sword away from Lucy's neck with two of my fingers.

"Icelynn, what is the meaning of this?" Erza asked me in a low voice, as she gave me a pointed look.

"Erza, I agreed to follow your lead in coming here to retrieve my sister and the rest. And you and I both know that _I know_ what sort of trouble Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Gray face when we get back to Magnolia. However, Lucy is still my sister, and I don't appreciate sharp, pointy objects being leveled at a vital point on her body." I said, as I gave Erza a pointed look as well. "Especially not when it's the sword belonging to a guild mate."

As Erza searched my eyes, I kept my gaze locked on hers to show her that I'm not trying to join the troublemakers and gang up on her. Holding up my hands in a pacifying gesture, I then nodded back towards the still _white as a sheet_ look Lucy has on her face.

"And besides, if you scare her so silly that she faints, how can Lucy help us narrow down our search for the other two?" I asked her then, as Erza considered my words.

After a few moments of tense silence, Erza lowered her sword.

"Alright, I will admit that you do have a point." She admitted, as I stepped out from between her and Lucy. "However, under guild rules, Happy and Lucy are not to leave my sight until we return to the guild. They are to become my prisoners until Natsu, and Gray are located." Erza declared, as she used her magic to re-quip some rope from her magical space.

"Wait, is that really necessary?" Lucy asked me then, as I gave her the same kind of pointed expression that I had given back to Erza.

"Lucy, at this point, I think it's either the rope or the sword." I told her, as Lucy let out yet another nervous laugh.

"Okay… Rope it is…" she said, giving in.

"Somehow, I thought you'd agree with that one." I muttered, as I took Happy over towards Erza. I traded the little blue cat for one measure of the rope Erza had brought forth and took it back over to my sister and began tying her up. By the time I was done, Erza had finished tying Happy up in such a way that he could hover above us, but not fly away.

Once the two were _arrested_, Erza then demanded that they tell us where Natsu and Gray are. According to Lucy and Happy, the two were still at the village about to take on the minions of that guy she tried to tell us about earlier. The one who is trying to awaken the demon Deliora. The Cold Emperor as he calls himself. So, the four of us began hiking back to the village.

When we got there though, there was no village to speak of, just ruins and no one in sight.

"Oh no…" I heard Lucy whisper, her eyes wide in shock as she took in what was left of the huts, and what looked to once be a high wall surrounding the place. "I can't believe this. It's gone…" she said, as she turned to look back at us, shooting a look of worry over at Erza.

"I believe you." Erza said, her stern look still in place. "I highly doubt that you would dare lie to me in the position you are currently in. Happy." She said, calling the little blue cat to attention and causing him to shiver in fear.

"A-aye?" he asked, as Erza glanced up his way.

"I am not taking the rope off, but I want you to fly up as high as you can and scout out where the surviving villagers are located. If Natsu and Gray aren't in the middle of a fight, and haven't found their way to us, then that's where they'll be. Understood?" Erza ordered, as Happy gave another aye, and flew up as quickly as Erza would allow him. Once Happy was above the treetops, she stopped feeding him the rope.

After about ten minutes of hovering around up there, Happy spotted what looked like a storage encampment with makeshift tents set up with people milling about. Erza reeled Happy back down to our level, then we all made our way towards the encampment. When we finally got there, a couple of guards stopped us by crossing their respective spears to block our path. As they did, I couldn't help but notice that each of them had one or two body parts that didn't look quite _human_…

"Halt!" one demanded, as the other eyed the ropes we had around my sister and Happy.

"Who are you and why are the wizards helping us tied up like that?" the other asked, voice just as full of demand as the first.

"My name is Erza Scarlet, and this is Icelynn. We are also wizards of Fairy Tail," Erza said, as the two guards simply adjusted the grip they had on their spears.

"Then show us your marks." The first one said, as Erza turned and held up her left arm for them to see the dark blue emblem that rested there. Nodding their heads at it, they then turned to look at me. When they did, I moved the strap of my shirt to show them the ice blue mark on the skin of the front side of my left shoulder. Nodding at me, I let my shirt slip back into place as the two guards began to glance between the two of us.

"Alright, now please explain why you have your guildmates tied up?" the first one said, as the second guard nodded his head in agreement.

"I don't understand why you would do that. Your guild sent them to help us, didn't they?" the second one asked.

"I do apologize, but these two fools plus two others have caused the guild some trouble. As for the job they came here to do, I fear that it is something I must discuss with your village elder or whomever is in charge." Erza answered them, as they turned to give each other uneasy looks.

Turning to each other, they held their hands up to their mouths as they began whispering to each other. Fortunately for Erza and me, I can still hear everything they're saying. Moving over towards Erza, I lowered my voice and repeated to her and a silent Lucy and Happy what I was hearing.

_What do you think? Should we go get the Elder and bring him to the entrance?_ The first asked.

_I don't think that would be a great idea. The Elder is still upset about having to leave Bobo's grave behind. If he comes anywhere near here, we'll have to catch him again._ The second responded. _What if we take them to the community tent they set up?_

_That could work. The Elder wouldn't have to go anywhere near the entrances to the camp, plus their wounded friend wouldn't have to go too far when he wakes up._ The first said, as I felt a bit of worry build up in my stomach. The only thing keeping me from marching over and demanding to know what happened was the fact that they didn't say he had died or was close to it.

The only question now is whether or not they're talking about Natsu or Gray.

Still, knowing how Erza is, I didn't tell her this right away. She really would cause a spectacle if I did. However, she didn't miss the few seconds that I froze up. Before she could verbally ask me about it, I noticed as the two guards looked like they were about to step away from each other, so I did the same to get away from Erza before they could notice.

"I can take you to the community tent." The first guard said then, as Erza turned her attention away from me.

"Very well." She answered, as the guard turned to lead us into the camp.

Putting my hand on the small of Lucy's back, I guided my sister forward as we followed the guard and Erza, who still led Happy by the rope still around him. As we walked, Erza eventually slowed down enough to walk side by side with Lucy and I.

"Icelynn, what did they say at the end?" Erza asked, as I let out a soft sigh.

"Don't freak out, but they wanted to set us up at the community tent not only for the Elder's sake, but also for our _wounded friend_." I answered her, as the stern look in her eyes softened in concern for a few seconds.

"Did they say which friend it was?" she asked me, as I shook my head no.

"I can go find out though, then meet up with you once I do." I offered, as Erza nodded her head once.

"Alright. Just bring him back with you if possible." She said, as I nodded my head once.

Turning to give my sister a look to tell her to not try running off or something else stupid, I guided her closer to Erza before I broke away from our small group.

As I sifted through the various unknown scents around me and ignored the curious looks, I eventually picked up one that smelled familiar and remarkably similar to my own magic. Following it, I eventually came across a smaller tent big enough to house one person. Drawing up short to the flaps of the tent, I took one more sniff just to be certain the person inside was who I thought it was, and to make sure he was alone. When I smelled no one else, I pulled the flaps open to find Gray laying on a bedroll unconscious.

Making sure that no one was watching me, I slipped inside and let the flaps fall shut and I moved towards Gray.

Looking him over, I could see that he was as hurt as the two guards from before had said. Thanks to the villagers patching him up though, Gray seems like he'll be fine with a few days of rest. Which also means that, depending on when we find and capture Natsu, we'll have to wait until he wakes up before we can get everyone back home.

_Damn it, Erza is going to be even less pleased._ I thought tiredly to myself, as I checked Gray's injuries over myself. I had to redo only one bandage before I left him to rest.

Thankfully though, it was rather easy to find the tent Erza and Lucy had been guided to. In fact, it was only a few tents down from where I had found Gray. Stepping through the flaps of this tent, I found Erza inside reclining against some crates. Off to her left side, sitting on the ground next to each other were my sister and Happy. Both of which were still tied up.

"Icelynn, did you find out which of our missing comrades it was?" Erza asked me then, as I nodded my head once.

"It's Gray..." I answered her, as I moved towards one of the wooden support poles holding the tent up and leaned my back against it. "He's out cold a few tents down from here."

"He is injured then?" she asked next, as I nodded my head once more.

"Yeah, but it doesn't look overly serious. If anything, I'd suggest letting him rest for a day or two before we drag him back home. Which is also why I left Gray where I found him. Besides, we still have to find Natsu." I said, as Erza thought my words over.

"You do have a point." Erza agreed, as she crossed her legs and placed her folded hands on top of her knees as she thought on what our next step would be.

"Alright. We will rest here until Gray wakes up. If Natsu hasn't stumbled back into the village by then, then we'll go out together and look for him." Erza declared, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Fine by me." I told her, as I dropped my bag from my shoulder. Pulling out my sleeping bag, I then got it set up to where Lucy could lay down and go to sleep on it. Ignoring the look Erza gave me as I did so.

Once again, I know my sister is in trouble, but I'm sure she used up quite a bit of her magic in fighting off that girl from before and her pet rat. She'll need her rest if we have to go through the jungle tomorrow to find Natsu. Once she was good, I moved to sit on the ground on Erza's right side and lean back against the crates.

I won't get much rest this way and I'll be sore, but it'll be something.

_Yeah, as if my dreams would leave me alone even if I could._ I thought sarcastically to myself as I closed my eyes.

_The Next Morning…_

Taking in a deep breath, I felt myself sit forward as I began to wake up. To be honest with you, I'm surprised I was even able to fall asleep for just a few hours in the first place. Still, with the way my ass and my back are feeling right now, it looks like I was right about being sore.

Letting out a yawn, I used the crates behind me to pull myself to my feet. Once I was up, I did what I could about stretching my sore muscles.

"Sleep well?" I heard Erza ask behind me, seeing as I was now facing away from her.

"Barely." I answered, as I turned around. As I did though, I could see that she looked even more irritated than she did yesterday. Looking about the tent, I had a really good guess as to why that was.

Lucy and Happy were already awake and dreading the day, but Gray hadn't shown up yet.

"I'm guessing you stayed up all night?" I asked her, as Erza glared over in Lucy and Happy's direction.

"No." she said, her tone getting rather sharp. "I didn't want them to do anything as foolish as trying to escape. I also wanted to be ready to intercept Gray once he wakes up." She answered.

"Now that you're awake though…" Erza began, as she glanced back at me. "After thinking on it last night, and seeing as we must wait, I think we should have Lucy get us up to date on what's been happening here on the island. I fear I may have been a little too impatient last night in trying to find the boys." She said, turning to look back at my sister. "Lucy, if you would start from the beginning." Erza ordered, as I moved to sit on one of the crates on the opposite side of Erza from my sister.

So, Lucy told us in detail what had happened since she and the others left Hargeon.

From her story, it looks like Gray did try to stop them before they left the mainland. However, Natsu managed to knock Gray unconscious, then took him with them after they found a boat willing to bring them to Galuna Island. On the way here, the ferryman disappeared on them, and the next thing they know, this huge wave catches them in the boat and hurls them against the island's shore, busting up the boat in the process.

Now that they were here on the island, and no boat to take them back, Gray decided to join forces with them. After that, they found the village, and spoke with the Elder about how to lift the curse.

According to Lucy, when the moon rises here on the island, it's not shiny and silver like it is back home. Instead, it's a shade of purple, and this purple moon is what causes the villagers who live on this island to be transformed into demons every single night. To help rid them of this curse, the Elder and his people wanted Natsu, Happy, Lucy, and Gray to destroy the moon.

To do this, Lucy reminded the other three about some kind of moon temple they had passed on the way to the village. When she asked the village Elder about it, she learned that they have never been able to go near that place. That, whenever someone does, they wind up back at the village with no memory of how they returned there.

In hearing about this, Lucy suspected that the temple might have clues about who and where the curse might have originated from. When they went to this temple, they found their answers, even if they weren't expected.

Deep within the temple, they came across this massive demon encased in ice. As soon as Lucy mentioned this demon, I figured that this was the demon Deliora Erza had told me about on the way here. However, both Erza and I were surprised when Lucy told us that she knew what Deliora was.

She, Natsu, and Happy were told this by Gray, who had seen Deliora before when he was just a little kid. Apparently, Deliora is the demon responsible for utterly destroying his hometown and killing his parents. Later on, it also added Gray's master Ur to its list of victims when she sacrificed her very flesh to seal this demon away using the spell known as _Iced Shell_.

It's a Maker-Magic spell for ice-based wizards, one that had been marked as a forbidden spell by the magic counsel. Forbidden because when a wizard casts this spell, it takes _all_ of them, magic, body, and soul; and turns them into the very thing that seals the object, demon, or person away for all eternity. To most of the magical world, this ice can never be melted. However, more advanced wizards, or wizards who have studied such things extensively knows that this isn't entirely true.

It is true that normal methods can never melt this ice, but there are some advanced spells out there, and spells that have too many negative effects to really use safely that can get the job done. According to one of Lucy's spirits, whom she had summoned at the time; Lyra I believe she said, told them this in the temple as well.

At about this time, a magical circle appeared through the roof of the caves that the temple bleeds into and shined down directly onto where Deliora sat. As it grew to intensity, they saw that this purple light was melting the iced shell around Deliora's body. Seeing it, Lyra was able to identify the spell.

Moon Drip.

A spell that takes moon light and filters it in such a way that it can become magically toxic. Causing anything from magic sickness, to transformations like they saw down in the village.

At this point, despite being sent to bring Natsu and Lucy back home, Gray became fully invested in letting them go through with it. Not because it was an S-Class or anything, but because he wanted to protect his master's legacy. Not to mention that there's not much melting left to do with how little ice is left on the demon. So, fearing what would happen if Deliora wakes up, they all went to the part of the temple where the Moon Drip ritual was being cast on the top of the roof of the temple. Up there, Gray learned that it was his old rival and fellow pupil under his master.

Another ice make wizard named Lyon, who called himself the _Cold_ _Emperor_.

In seeing Gray and the others, Lyon figured that it was the villagers who sent for help from the wizard guilds and decided to send his minions down to destroy the village. To him, they had become a nuisance, and therefore should be gotten rid of. Meanwhile, Lyon meant to deal with Gray, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy.

Not wanting the village to be in danger, Natsu had Happy take Lucy back there to provide some kind of protection. While she did that, Gray and Natsu both entered the fight, then Gray somehow got rid of Natsu to try and take care of Lyon himself. Or, at least this is what Natsu told her when he caught up with her at the village. After that, Lucy lost track of Gray until I found him last night.

As for Natsu, he and Lucy stayed at the village while they waited for Lyon's minions to strike. When they did, Lucy immediately got carried off by the giant rat the marionette girl had as a pet. Making her loose track of Natsu. Lucy and this marionette mage girl fought, Lucy defeated her, and we know the rest.

The whole time she spoke, Lucy's voice didn't waver, and her heartbeat remained steady, so I knew she wasn't lying. Looking over at Erza, I could see that she felt the same way.

"Happy, is what she said true?" Erza asked the little blue cat, who gave her a wary _aye sir_.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Erza looked towards the entrance to our tent. "I hope you all know just how foolish it was for you to steal this S-Class job. Most guilds would consider such an action grounds for expulsion. However, you lot are extremely fortunate that Master Makarov is a more forgiving guild master. Thanks to this, you all will be spared that fate at least this once. However, I don't want you to think he'll go easy on any of you when you all face whatever punishment Master Makarov decides to deal out." She scolded, not taking her eyes off the entrance to the tent.

As Erza let up on her scolding for now, Lucy let out a small sigh as she sagged down where she sat, looking at the ground right in front of her. Deciding to leave her to her thoughts, I sat back against the crates Erza and I sat on.

"Erza, what are we going to do about Deliora?" I asked her then, as she turned her harsh eyes towards me.

"Nothing." She answered, as I turned a worried look her way.

"If we don't at least look into it, and it wakes up, we'd be leaving everyone still on this island at it's mercy." I told her, as she hardened her look towards me. Off to the side, I could even hear Happy and Lucy gasp in slight fear as she did so. Ignoring them, I kept my eyes locked with Erza's.

"Icelynn, we've discussed what our job here on this island is. It's to bring these four idiots back home. Nothing more." She told me, as I narrowed my eyes back at her. "Unless you wish to be seen as guilty as well, Icelynn." She threatened, as I felt my lip twitch in the sudden need to bare my fangs at her.

"_Guilty_… Yeah, sure…" I scoffed, as I turned to look away from her. "Look Erza, we still have to find Natsu. How about you just think on what I just said, then we'll discuss this then. Sound good to you?" I asked her, not willing to just sit back and let this go.

"When we find Natsu, we'll be _leaving._ No ifs, ands, or buts to be discussed." She snapped at me, as I simply hummed to show I had at least heard her.

_Erza can say what she wants, but it will be discussed again. I can't just abandon the villagers to that demon. Still, we'll have to wait for Gray before we try to locate Natsu._ I thought to myself, as we all just sat there in the tense silence Erza and I had created. Save for the sniffling sounds Happy and Lucy both made every now and again. Poor things had their own set of twin rivers running down their faces. And was it just me, or were their tear tracks getting bigger as Erza's face darkened?

I didn't really get to ponder this though, seeing as a freshly awoken Gray chose this exact moment to walk into the tent. The moment Erza laid eyes on him, Gray all but broke out into a cold sweat.

"Gray Fullbuster, you made me wait." Erza told him, her voice firm. "Not smart."

"Erza!?" He said, his eyes wide in surprise as he then glanced over at me. "And Icelynn, you're here too?" he asked, as I gave him a nod in greeting. Looking away from me to Happy and my sister, he began to look a bit worried. "Wait, how come they're tied up?" he asked us then, as Erza glanced their way for a moment before focusing back on Gray.

"Lucy has gotten Icelynn and I up to speed with everything that happened so far." Erza explained, as she got on her feet. "Gray, I thought that you were sent to stop Natsu and these two fools. I'm rather disappointed." She said, as Gray looked on warily.

"Where is Natsu anyway?" he asked, as I hopped back on my feet as well.

"No one here knows. We were hoping that you'd be able to tell us where he went once you woke up." I told him, as Lucy looked up from her sniveling fest.

"Natsu was fighting the Cold Emperor's lackeys the last time I saw him, but by the time Erza had us go back to the village, it had been destroyed, and no Natsu in sight. Erza then demanded we take her to find you, but Happy and I had no idea where you had ended up." Lucy said, as Happy looked up next.

"That's when I flew up above the treetops and saw that the villagers had moved into this storage area, so we came here to see if you or Natsu had made it back yet. Only, when Icelynn went to look, she could only find you." Happy said, as Erza moved towards the entrance to the tent.

"Okay." She said, as she turned back to face us. "Icelynn is going to use her dragon slayer abilities to track down Natsu. Once we have him, we are all going back to the guild." Erza declared, as Gray gave her a look of protest.

"Hold up Erza!" he started. "If Lucy filled you guys in, then you know why we can't leave this island just yet! Not with what these people are going through!" he said, as Erza gave him the same look she did me a few moments ago.

"Your point?" she asked him coldly, as Gray began looking at her like she had grown a second head. "Icelynn and I were only dispatched to find these three for breaking the rules, and you for joining them. We aren't here to do anything other than that." She said, as Gray wiped the shock from his face.

"_Rules!?_" Gray repeated, as he gave Erza a hard, pleading look. "Erza, have you seen what happened to these people?" he asked her, as Erza told him that she had. "So, you know. You know, and you're just going to turn your back on them?" he asked, as Erza turned to glare at him.

"Their request is posted at every guild hall known to the wizarding world." She reminded him. "As for the villager's and their predicament, they would be better served if a wizard who is _cleared_ for S-Class were to take the job. And need I remind you, that none of you are qualified for such a task."

"And what about Deliora!? Are we just going to stand by and let that monster loose!? They could break the iced shell keeping Deliora dormant at any time once the sun goes down!" Gray shouted, as Erza turned away.

"We find Natsu, then we all go home and let someone of a higher rank take care of him." Erza answered, as Gray's expression darkened.

"How can you be so heartless?" he snapped at her then, causing Erza to turn the same look she had given Lucy back on the beach to Gray.

"So…" she said, her voice even as she summoned a sword. "Are you choosing to defy Master Makarov as well?" she asked him, as she pointed her weapon at Gray.

Reaching up, Gray grabbed a hold of Erza's blade, gripping it so tight that his hand began to bleed a bit. Looking up, Gray matched the glare Erza was giving him.

"Do what you must." He told her, as Erza's eyes widened. Now that he had her full attention, Gray eased his own expression. "Look Erza, I'm not walking away from this. Not because I want to have bragging rights, or to make Master proud or anything of that sort; but because I know what's _right_, and abandoning these villagers to the wrath of the very same fucking demon that murdered my family isn't it." He told her calmly.

At his words, Erza began to tremble from the strength of the conviction Gray had just shown her. Deciding to let her mull it over, Gray let go of Erza's sword and made his way to the entrance of the tent. Pausing just before he went out, Gray looked over his shoulder back at her.

"I'm sorry Erza, but like I said, I'm seeing this through to the end. And there's _nothing_ you can do to stop me." He told her, as he left the tent completely.

Watching as the tent flap fell closed, I then looked back at Erza, who could only continue to tremble as she fought between her absolute loyalty to the guild, and her morals as a living, breathing person. Letting out a heavy sigh, I couldn't help but find myself agreeing with Gray on the bit about Deliora going free.

Leaving when this demon could go free at any time isn't the right thing to do. Doing so would only put the blood of innocent people on our hands. If anything, the very thought of it made me feel even more ill than when I slayed that vulcan, and its blood caused me to flash back to more unpleasant times. Moving towards Erza, I slowly reached up and placed a hand on her armored shoulder. From the looks of it, she's still internally struggling with herself, but she won't be for much longer.

"Erza, I know you're not for us going up against Deliora, but Gray has a point." I told her, as she whirled around and knocked my hand from her shoulder.

"Icelynn…" she began, ready to scold me, but I didn't hesitate to bare my fangs and growl at her this time. Hearing me, Erza's gaze sharpened dangerously again, but she at least shut her mouth.

"Don't give me that!" I told her, only to close my eyes and take a calming breath. Once I got there, I opened my eyes again. "Look. I'm _not_ suggesting that you and I take on the S-Class quest and finish it. Yes, it was made this way due to Deliora, but Deliora isn't the job itself. You heard Lucy just as well as I did, that the job isn't to slay the demon Deliora, but to destroy the moon. But S-Class quests, guilds, and their rules aside, can you really bring yourself to walk off this island and leave men, women, and for God's sake, _children_ to be killed by that demon?" I asked her as Erza's trembling gradually began to fade as she at last thought my words over.

"But what about master's orders?" she asked, as I placed my hand on her shoulder once more.

"Well, killing Deliora isn't going to make us break them." I told her. "Like I said, the job is to destroy the moon, not the demon. Besides, I don't think Master Makarov will hold it against us if we go after and defeat Deliora to keep it from killing those who would be otherwise left helpless." I continued, as I dropped my hand from her shoulder, as a new worry began to grip me. "Not to mention, we might not have a choice in the long run." I said, as Lucy squeaked from where she was sitting.

"Wait, what do you mean?" she asked me, as I turned to glance her way before looking back at Erza.

"I mean, we don't know how long it's going to take us to track down Natsu. If Gray is right about the time frame of which the iced shell keeping Deliora sealed away fully breaks, then we might not have a choice in whether or not we end up fighting that demon. Especially if Natsu sniffs that monster out first and challenges it. Hell, with the way our luck normally goes, we could even stumble across Deliora while trying to find Natsu for all we know." I answered her, as Lucy's face turned white as a sheet.

As for Erza, she was still considering what I had just said. However, this time as I look at her, I feel she'll be coming around in just a few moments. Deciding to leave her to it, I turn to head out of the tent myself.

"Erza, I know that you're _not _heartless, and despite what he said out of anger, neither does Gray. I have full faith that you'll decide to do the right thing in the end." I said, glancing over my shoulder for a moment before facing forward once more. "That being said, I'm going to go and make sure that Gray hasn't left without us yet. If he goes to face Deliora alone while injured like he is, he'd more than likely die for sure." I told them, as I moved the flaps of the tent out of my way as I passed through them.

I'd only made it about a few feet away from the tent though before I heard Happy and Lucy shrieking in fear, followed by them begging Erza for mercy. That they have no control over Gray, and even though Luce and I are sisters, she can't control me either. In hearing them, I could only smile, knowing that Erza had literally cut them loose.

_Well, for now anyway._ I thought, as I began heading in the direction I had been going in before. Upping my walk into a jog, I began following Gray's scent to catch up to him.

It only took us about ten to fifteen minutes for me to catch up to Gray, then for him and I to wait for the others to catch up to us. Once we were all together, we began heading down the jungle path that would lead us to the moon temple where Deliora is being kept. As well as Lyon, or the Cold Emperor. Better known as Gray's former fellow student.

As we ran, Gray told us what happened on his side of things, and that if Natsu would be anywhere, it'd be back at the temple to try and beat up Lyon again, or to find a way to stop Deliora from being awakened before the moon rose.

However, what really caught my attention was when Gray told us why his childhood rival was trying to revive Deliora in the first place.

"Wait, so you're saying that the _Cold Emperor_ is trying to resurrect Deliora just to turn around and defeat it?" Lucy asked him, as Gray hummed in affirmation.

"Even back before I met Lyon, he's always dreamed of surpassing Ur and her magical ability as an Ice-Make Wizard. Then, when she died after sealing Deliora away, and he could no longer challenge her; Lyon made it his lifelong goal to find a way to release Deliora, and do the one thing Ur couldn't do, which is to slay it." Gray explained, as he slowed to a stop.

Doing the same, I turned to look at Gray as Lucy, Happy, and Erza stopped as well to listen.

"Let me guess, he doesn't give a damn about who he has to hurt or kill to accomplish this?" I asked, as Gray nodded his head.

"Yeah, which is why I have to face him before tonight. There is something I've never got to tell him before now." Gray revealed, as he walked over towards a tree and placed his hand against it. At the way he stood tensely, with his hand pressed firmly against that tree, I could tell that this was something very personal for him, and not easy to let off his chest. "Ur made me promise her to keep this a secret from Lyon just before she cast the Iced Shell on Deliora…" he said, as I realized what it was that Gray must have had to keep secret for all the years that have passed since this promise was made.

"Wait… Are you saying that Lyon doesn't know the full extent of what the Iced Shell does?" I asked Gray, as he turned surprised eyes my way.

"You know about that spell?" He asked me, as I nodded my head once.

"Yes. I may be a dragon slayer, but ice is still my baser magic. It was one of the few spells my dragon Storm specifically forbid me from ever learning how to cast should I decide to explore other areas of magic." I answered him, as Gray looked away from me.

"What makes this spell so dangerous?" Erza asked, as I looked over at her.

"Iced Shell is considered a forbidden spell by the magic counsel." I answered, as Gray backed me up.

"Icelynn's right." He said, as he turned back to look at us again. "This spell was declared as forbidden due to how much it takes from the caster to seal an intended target away for all eternity. This is the same reason why Ur never told Lyon and I about it when she started teaching us. The only reason we ever learned about it in the first place was because Lyon admitted to stealing one of her more advanced spell books and reading it on his own. Ur then forbid us from ever attempting to cast it. I swear, that was one of the only two times I've ever seen her so angry."

"Okay, but what does it take from the one who casts it?" Lucy asked, worry and curiosity clear on her face.

"Any wizard who dares to cast Iced Shell, no matter how experienced, or how strong they are, all but looses their lives." I answered her, as Lucy, Erza, and Happy's eyes all widened. "And I mean that _literally_, by the way. The spell takes the wizard's body, magic, and mind, and transforms it into the very ice encasing whatever is being sealed away. Effectively making them a _living prison_ so to speak." I explained, as Lucy gasped.

"So that means…" she began, unable to say the rest.

"It means that while Ur isn't with us…" Gray said, as we all looked back at him once more. "She isn't dead either."

Looking at the shocked faces the others had, and the Solemn one I wore, Gray turned saddened eyes away from us once more.

"Either way, that doesn't change the fact that It's my fault that she was forced to cast that damn spell in the first place." Gray muttered, as Erza, who had calmed down significantly, turned concerned eyes his way.

"What do you mean it's _your fault_?" she asked him, as Gray pushed away from the tree, clenching his fists as he faced away from our group. Walking further down the path, Gray then began to speak once more as we followed him.

"Ten years ago, Ur found me in the wreckage of my hometown. Lyon had already been learning under her for about a year or so. They pulled me out, treated my wounds, and helped me to bury my mom and my dad. When I got better, I begged Ur to teach me how to use magic, so that I could become strong enough to take revenge on Deliora; which had moved on to cause more terror and destruction somewhere else once it was done with my home. Ur decided to take me in after that, make me her student along with Lyon.

It took me a couple of months before I was able to cast my first maker magic spell. All that time she had us spend out in the snow practicing, barely a stitch of clothing on us to help us learn to adapt to the temperatures our magic would reach as we gradually advanced in our magic finally paid off. However, back then, I failed to see this style of magic as anything other than weaker magic that wouldn't give me so much as a chance against Deliora when I finally found and went to kill it.

The more I got the hang of being a maker type wizard, the more I began demanding that Ur teach me a stronger type of magic. Each time I'd spout off at the mouth about it, she'd remind me that she had already taught me powerful magic. That it's the freedom and unique style I'd one day develop that would give me the ability to make my magic as strong as I feel it needs to be.

But I was too blinded by the revenge I wanted to really listen to her.

Then one day, we were on our way back from town when a cart full of mercinaries or whatever passed by. As it did, I heard a couple of the passengers talking about Deliora, and where it was heading for next. A town called Brogo. By the time we got back to Ur's cabin, my mind was made up. I packed up my stuff and left for Brogo that very night. Ur and Lyon tried to get me to stay, but I wouldn't listen to them. Not even when Ur threatened to disown me as her pupil.

At this point, I didn't care if I died, so long as I could take my revenge on Deliora. By the time I even got to Brogo though, Deliora had already destroyed close to half of the town. I tried to fight Deliora then, but as you can probably guess, I not only got knocked on my ass, but got myself knocked out cold as well. Luckily, Ur and Lyon had followed me, and managed to get me out of Deliora's immediate warpath, but not before Ur became seriously hurt.

However, our problems didn't end there.

With the way we were all battered and bruised, Ur told us to run. It was clear that she meant to sacrifice herself to save us, and the rest of Brogo. When Lyon realized this, he snapped. He got angry at Ur, demanded to know why he had spent all of that time studying magic with her if she wasn't the best wizard there was. To him, Ur wouldn't loose to Deliora, that she was without a doubt stronger than it was. That she was the strongest wizard alive. He begged her to not prove him wrong, that doing so would somehow betray him.

He got so mad that Lyon ran forward and took on the stance you'd take to cast Iced Shell. That was the moment when Ur found out that Lyon knew about it, and that he had failed to read everything that magic book he found it in had to say about the spell. Ur tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen as he began to cast the spell, saying that it was the only way to stop Deliora, which also inevitably drew Deliora's direct attention to the three of us.

Luckily, Ur stopped him, temporarily freezing him in a block of ice, knocking him out in the process. Once Lyon couldn't do anything else that was stupid, Ur told me what Iced Shell did to its caster. She also admitted that Lyon was right about it being the only way to stop Deliora.

Ur went forward and began to cast the spell, and as her body turned to the ice which now keeps Deliora sealed away, she had me promise to tell Lyon that casting the spell had killed her. When it was over, the rage and sadness I'd felt up until that point faded away. When she took me in, Ur vowed that she would find a way to absolve me of the darkness Deliora had left inside of me. When she sealed Deliora way, she made good on that promise.

Lyon, on the other hand, saw it differently. When I lied and told him that Ur had died like I promised, he blamed me. Said that I had murdered our master by challenging Deliora the way that I did. He then made a vow of his own, that he would one day find a way to free Deliora and kill it himself. After that, he became cold towards everything and everyone in his pursuit of his goal." Gray finished, as he kept walking.

"That's why I'm hoping that when I tell him about how Ur is still alive, he'll stop casting the moon drip spell." He said, as we all continued to follow him.

As I listened to Gray's story, I couldn't help but feel a small pang in my chest as I found myself thinking back to my dragon. I know that I've thought about it before, but I can't help but wonder why Storm had just up and left me like that. Could he have done it to protect me from something, like Gray's Master? If he's been gone this long, could that mean that the threat he drew away from me is still out there. Unless he got…

_No! I know that Storm isn't dead. I'd feel it in my gut if he were_. I reminded myself, as I turned my attention back to the path we were still following.

Thankfully, it wasn't long after this that the temple finally came into view. Upon seeing it though, Gray, Happy, and Lucy all stopped to stare at it in bewilderment.

"Wait, it wasn't tilted like this before, was it?" Lucy asked Gray, as she and Happy tilted their heads in the same way that the crooked temple was.

"No, but I'm willing to bet on who made it that way." Gray answered.

"Natsu more than likely." Erza agreed.

"Yeah, he's the only one crazy enough to do something like that." Happy said, as he and Lucy went to let their heads go back to their normal positions.

Unfortunately for the blue cat, he had turned his head a little too far and could no longer sit his head straight.

"I don't know how he managed it, but if Natsu got the temple to go crooked on purpose, then he had a great idea for once in his life." Gray muttered, as Happy began trying to get out of his stuck position. "So long as it's like this, the moon drip spell won't be able to hit Deliora."

"Well damn, who would have guessed that Natsu's destructive side could ever be a good thing." I agreed, as I began to hear a buzzing, whirling sound heading straight our way.

Turning to face the direction it was coming from; I caught the scent of a group of people who didn't smell like they came from the village. Reaching over for my sister, I grabbed her by the back of her belt, and tripped her to fall back into the bushes. While this was going on, Erza knocked Happy over in Lucy's direction. As the little cat hit the ground, we all tried not to flinch as his neck gave a loud crack. Luckily, the sound wasn't Happy's neck snapping, but letting off the pressure it sustained from him looking at the temple sideways for so long.

Now that those two were out of the way, it gave me, Erza, and Gray enough room to dodge the crescent shaped blades that came flying at us. As their weapons stuck harmlessly from the ground, the people they belonged to finally stepped out from the jungle, surrounding us. All of them were in purple ceremonial robes with white masks bearing a black symbol on the front.

Not only that, but they had more crescent blades on them as well.

"We've got you now, Fairy Tail!" One of the robed figures up front said, as they got ready to attack us once again.

"We cannot allow you to interfere with the Cold Emperor's plans!" another added.

"These are Lyon's goons. They were the ones performing the moon drip ritual." Gray said, identifying them.

Looking from side to side, Erza held up a hand as she summoned a sword to her side.

"I can handle this." She said, as the circle her sword materialized from disappeared.

"Are you sure about this Erza?" Gray asked her, as she took a defensive stance between us and the people who first appeared from the jungle.

"Yes, now go." She said, not taking her eyes off the enemy. "You still have to settle things with Lyon."

Taking her whip from her belt, Lucy took up her own stance off to the side of Erza, Happy standing next to her with a bony fish.

"We'll fight with her, so don't worry about us, okay?" she said, as Happy gave an _Aye_.

"Thanks, you guys…" Gray said, as he then turned to look my way. "What are you going to do Icelynn?" he asked, as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Guess I'll go with you. That way if any other interruptions pop up, I can deal with it myself and send you on ahead." I answered, as a thankful smile crossed his lips.

"Alright, then let's get in that temple then." He said, as we gave each other a nod.

Waiting until Erza and Lucy made the first move, I then turned towards the direction the temple was located in and took a deep breath.

"ICE DRAGON ROAR!" I called, as I let loose my breath attack at that portion of the ring of people keeping us in one spot. I made sure to keep my breath from running too cold, so that the people blocking our path would only fall over in a fit of shivers instead of being frozen solid.

"Gray, Icelynn, be careful!" Lucy called out to us, as we took our opening.

"Same goes to you sis!" I called back, just before the rest of our group and the idiots in robes left our line of sight.

As we ran, I put my hair up into a ponytail in anticipation for the fight ahead. Sure, I'd leave Lyon to Gray, but that doesn't mean that Lyon is going to be by himself when we find him.

_If he isn't alone, then I'm hoping that at least Natsu is there._ I thought to myself, as we ran. _Because if Gray can't find a way to convince Lyon to stop using the moon drip spell, then I fear what he might resort to in order to stop Lyon…_

~X~

Next Chapter: Chapter 9 – Absolute Freeze: Iced Shell

~X~


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